Cycle of Bane
by xXxSaiyanPrincessxXx
Summary: She is a doctor for Gotham City. He is Gotham's reckoning. She is kidnapped and held captive to nurse his men and make sure they maintain their good health. But is she useful in more ways than the reason she was captured? BanexOC
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first story in the Batman fandom, so please any criticism and advice is welcomed. Please just don't be mean about it. **

**Disclaimer- I don't own anything related to the Batman franchise. I only own this story and my OC(s). If I did, I would have made Christopher Nolan include more of Bane's backstory in TDKR's theater version and not only the director's cut (which are the rumors). **

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

The roar of the motorcycle's engine purred beneath her, as she sat on the leather seat.

Her pulse raced rapidly in her chest, beating against her ribcage.

Her hands were clammy and sweaty as they held onto the metal handlebars.

The hands on the outside of hers grasping the bars were much larger. Scarred and somewhat unhealthily taken care of, the hands were holding on to the bars relaxed, unlike hers that gripped them holding on for dear life.

A sharp turn and a skid of the wheels on the pavement startled her.

She let a whimper escape from her lips underneath the helmet she wore. She instinctively scooted back on the seat, leaning her back into the muscular chest behind her.

She felt the person's head shift slightly, as to observe her movement. She glanced up to look at them, her pupils fearful. Another pair of eyes matched hers, fixed intently on her.

Her eyes widened as she noticed they were not watching the road. Her head whipped around just in time to see the motorcycle about to slam into a eighteen wheeler carrying propane, before bursting into flames.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Alexis Rhodes woke with a start, shooting up in her bed. Breathing heavily, she noted her navy blue sheets were drenched in sweat. She could feel her hair was the equivalent of a rat's nest in its current state. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she practically leaped from the bed. Walking to her attached bathroom, she took a side glance at the mirror on the wall. As she expected, her brunette hair was a tangled mess and her crystal blue eyes were red as if she had been crying in her sleep.

Wiping her face to make sure she had no wet tears still on her cheeks, she sighed deeply.

That same dream. That was the fourth time this month. It happened more increasingly as the date approached, she noticed. She hated that dream, because it would usually start wonderfully, but then end up as a terrifying nightmare. She wondered if it was even a vision to come in the near future. It scared her, would it actually ever happen? Damn it all. If only she knew.

It haunted her, her thoughts, her dreams and everywhere else. Granted, it had been a good fifteen years since he left her behind in this world. The dreams that only appeared when the anniversary neared. Fifteen long years had passed since her father died in the unfortunate motorcycle accident.

Before her tears had a chance to begin streaming down her face again, Alexis jumped in her shower after shrugging out of her pajamas. Letting the warm water run down her ivory skin, she sighed appreciatively. She washed her hair, lathering it up. She then washed it out and put conditioner in her brunette locks. Smoothing a lavender and vanilla body wash into her skin, she scrubbed gently with a sponge. The water washed away all of the suds and bubbles, leaving her skin silky smooth.

Turning off the water and stepping out of the shower stall, she reached for a plush towel. Quickly drying herself off, she walked back to her bedroom. Noting the time, she raided her closet for something to wear for work today. After choosing a black pencil skirt and lavender colored v-neck top with ruffles, she donned them before slipping on her black pumps. Alexis then ran to her vanity, hurriedly applying some makeup. She grabbed her purse, and then her coat. Doctor Rhodes was stitched in black lettering on the coat.

Alexis found her car keys and then rushed out of her apartment, flying down the stairs of the apartment complex. Walking through the parking garage, she approached her car. Getting inside and starting the engine, she raced off to Gotham City General Hospital.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Alexis had just finished a surgery on a patient who had developed a clot in her bloodstream. Exactly as soon as she exited the operating room and washed her hands, she was bombarded with news about other patients from nurses.

"Doctor Rhodes, Melissa Snyder in 47C is healing up nicely from the surgery last week to repair her broken femur…"

"Good. Keep me informed on her status, and continue administering her Vicodin."

"Doctor, Landon Torres in 40D was released from the hospital yesterday night as he completely healed."

Her head jumped up in interest, "Remind me to call his family to see how he is doing…" Alexis replied. It wasn't normal for Alexis to check up on families, but Landon was different. During the time he'd spent at the hospital, they bonded and became close friends. Landon was a divorced man, damaged and hurt by his cheating ex-wife. It was such a shame for him to be already declared divorced at his young age of 26, just a year older than Alexis. He eventually confessed his attraction to Alexis and it was entirely mutual. But she had to remind herself of not crossing the line of unprofessionalism.

She would call him tonight, she decided.

"Doctor Rhodes, Simon Marsh in 42A has been having trouble sleeping as well as chronic pain in his head-"

Alexis sighed, resisting to roll her eyes. Again? She didn't bother to stop and talk to the nurse that approached her.

"He's the one recovering from the severe head injury due to a car accident, right?"

The nurse nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

Alexis continued down the hall, "Give him some Rozerem and Vicodin. Let me know if his condition improves." She didn't even give the nurse a chance to respond.

Her strides advancing down the halls, Alexis finally approached her office, barricading herself in it. Leaning against the door, she let out a heavy sigh of relief. It was currently her hour for lunch and she intended to enjoy every bit of it in uninterrupted silence.

She opened up the mini fridge in her office, grabbing a microwaveable meal and a soda can. Putting the dish in the microwave, she pushed a button, watching it turn around on the table. The hum of the machine calmed her as she flipped open the tab on the soda can, gulping down a large amount.

Alexis reclined in her chair, letting her thoughts consume her again. She hated that dream. She hated it with a fiery passion. She had tried everything possible in attempts to keep them away forever. Neither therapy nor medicine helped. Opening a drawer in her desk, she picked up a bottle of Lexapro and popped a pill in her mouth. Taking a swig of her drink, she swallowed it. Alexis knew the pills didn't work, especially for nightmares, but she didn't want to develop depression. As far as she knew, she probably already had it. She wasn't addicted to them, she knew this. It was simply a precaution.

The beeping of the microwave alerted her to the sound of her cooked food. Opening the microwave, she licked her lips hungrily at the sight of her meal. After letting it cool for a few moments, she dug into the meal, devouring it in another few moments.

The meal was so delicious and satisfying that it accidentally caused Alexis to fall asleep on her desk. The added effects of not sleeping well last night also didn't help much.

Unfortunately for her, the restful nap did not last. A rapid knocking on her door woke her from the slumber. The person on the other side of the locked door was trying to enter as Alexis heard the turning of the knob.

"Doctor Rhodes, your patient scheduled for their 1:30 surgery is ready! They have already been under the effects of anesthesia for fifteen minutes!"

Alexis groaned in annoyance and forced herself to her feet. "I just want to sleep…is that too much to ask?" She mumbled.

Another insistent knock on the door.

"Apparently it is."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Four and a half more hours slowly passed and it was finally time to clock out. Alexis had to contain her excitement as she nearly raced out of Gotham City General Hospital. Releasing her brunette locks from the bun it had been in, she whipped out her cell phone from her purse.

She'd peeked at Landon's file before leaving her office and quickly memorized his home phone number. Her fingers flew over the keypad, typing it in. She nervously glanced at the screen and took a deep breath before putting the phone to her ear as it dialed.

It was a few rings before he picked up, "Hello?" His deep and smooth voice talked into the speaker on the other end.

Alexis almost began babbling like an idiot. She was a beautiful and attractive woman, but she had never asked a man for a date. They always came to her. She stuttered, "I-is this Landon Torres?"

He paused for a moment, as if he was trying to recognize the voice. His voice was amused, "Doctor Rhodes is that you? I was wondering when you'd give me a ring."

Alexis let out a small giggle, "Oh really? And just why is that?"

She could tell he was smirking now. If they were in the same location at this moment, he would probably be flashing her a charming grin, "So I can take you out, of course."

"Is that so?"

"Absolutely! In fact, I've actually got nothing else to do tonight…how about you come on over? Dinner is included…I'm thinking a pan seared chicken breast with a sweet honey barbeque glaze and sautéed vegetables."

Alexis' mouth watered hearing the delicious food she could be eating. She almost forgot to respond back to Landon. "Well, I do enjoy a man that can cook."

"That's not the only thing I can do." His voice had taken a sudden sultry tone, but it didn't deter Alexis. It merely made her excited and enthusiastic. Her stomach fluttered and her heart raced a little more.

Landon continued, "See you at 7:30?"

Alexis took a quick look at her phone's clock. It was 6:13. Being curious, she had taken a peek at his home address, the same time she noted his telephone number. His home was only a fifteen minute drive from hers. She could shower quickly and redo her makeup while still being ready with plenty of time left over.

"Alexis?" His voice called.

"Oh, yes, yes! 7:30 would be perfect!"

He chuckled lightly, "Alright, I'll see you then, Ms. Rhodes."

"See you then, Landon," Her voice purred.

The dial tone rang in her ears as Alexis continued to hold the phone to her head. D-did she really just get a date for tonight? She had to mentally slap herself, _Yes, you moron, you did! _What surprised her most was how easy it had seemed. Or maybe it was just Landon's smooth talking that aided?

Alexis rushed to her car aware of the fact that she had just over an hour to get ready. Once she arrived at her silver Lexus IS 250, she hopped inside and drove off to her home. She was glad she lived only ten minutes from the hospital. She wanted as much time as possible to prepare for the date.

She quickly sped home and nearly dashed into her apartment. As soon as she stepped foot in her bedroom she peeled off all of her clothing and made a bee-line for the shower. A five short minutes later, she wiped away the excess water. Then she blow dried her hair, not completely dry, but just to get out some moisture. Using her curling iron, she made flirty curls out of her usually straight brunette locks.

With a deep breath, she opened the doors to her closet. Her lips turned to a frown. "Now the difficult part…figuring out what the hell I should wear." She stared into the closet, looking at the mass of clothing. She began to tug items she deemed unworthy into a growing mountain of clothes.

A red simple top with sequins.

"No."

A blue blouse that hugged her curves.

"Ugh, no. Come on, Alexis…sexy. Need sexy."

After ten minutes of tossing around clothing, she finally had her choices narrowed down to two. One outfit was a sultry little black dress that showcased her figure spectacularly. It stopped right at her thighs and had a plunging v-neck. She worried it was a little too night-in-the-club-like though. The other outfit was a pair of blue skinny jeans and a maroon shade tank with ruffles that had just the right amount of cleavage.

Looking at the time on her phone, she saw it was 6:58. She let out a cry of surprise, "Shit! Okay…about to be super childish but…eenie meenie minie moe…"

Seconds later, her decision turned out to be the LBD. She rolled her eyes, of course it was. Alexis quickly slipped the dress on and laced up a pair of strappy stilettos.

She applied her make-up hurriedly, while trying not to mess up. After putting on her smoky purple eye-shadow, she reached for a lipstick tube. It was blood red, and it looked insanely sexy as it contrasted against her skin.

Alexis checked herself in her mirror one last time and then grabbed her purse, phone and keys. She raced down the stairs after locking her apartment, her stilettos clicking on the floors. Jogging to her car, she started it up and drove away.

Her eyes flickered to the dashboard clock. 7:14. "Shit." She muttered. Her foot pressed harder on the gas pedal, pushing her car to go faster.

With her Lexus speeding through the streets of Gotham, she reached Landon's townhouse in no time at all.

7:28

She pulled over to the sidewalk, parking in front of the building. As she walked to the door nervously, she observed the home. Pure white siding and sky blue shutters on the windows. It was two floors as far as she could see. The door was painted a deeper shade of blue, hidden by the glass storm door.

Her hand reached out to the doorbell, and she heard it reverberate on the inside of the home. Then, she heard footsteps coming to the door. She gulped before placing a sexy smile on her lips.

The door opened to reveal Landon. His eyes widened at the sight of her, followed by a large grin. "Well, hello there."

"Hello, Landon. It's nice to see you again." She said warmly, as he stepped back to allow her in the house.

He was dressed in a casual white button up shirt and jeans. His handsome face was scruffy, something she hadn't seen on him before. His face had usually been clean shaven. She didn't mind the change. His black hair was cut short, as it had been longer during his time in the hospital. Alexis noticed there was a wrist brace on his right arm.

Landon shut the door behind them. A delicious scent began to invade her nostrils. She could practically taste the honey barbeque sauce on her tongue. She took small steps forward, taking in the environment. Landon was behind her, watching.

"That's quite the outfit you're wearing, Alexis." He said.

She turned around, "Oh, is it? I hadn't noticed." She winked.

Landon was suddenly inches from her. His arms wrapped around her slim waist from behind, making her squeak in shock. Then, he was in front of her. Before she even knew what was happening, he leaned forward and planted a kiss on her lips. Alexis stiffened, putting her hands on his shoulders and shoving him away.

"L-Landon! What the hell?" She cried.

His green eyes were sorrowful, "I…I'm sorry, Alexis. I just…god, you look so beautiful. I couldn't resist."

Alexis' cheeks tinted pink, "Thank you."

Landon grabbed one of her hands, "Come on, dinner is almost ready," he said as he tugged her into the kitchen.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

A few hours passed, and the pair was now sitting in Landon's living room watching the Gotham Rogues play against the rival team. The two of them were slightly intoxicated at this point, Landon gulping down a Budweiser while Alexis drank a Corona Lime.

As Alexis had hoped, the meal Landon prepared for her was absolutely divine. The chicken breast was cooked perfectly as well as the sauce's seasoning. The vegetable medley he sautéed ended up getting seared a little, because they had been too engrossed in their conversation. It didn't seem to matter as they tasted fine.

Over dinner, they talked about the typical first date topics. Favorite food, his was prime rib and hers was chicken cordon bleu. He joked about how she should have told him to make that instead, which they shared a laugh. Alexis pressed him on what he did for a living, which he would only explain as political work and nothing more about it. Alexis didn't try to ask more, it wasn't truly important. It turned out they had a lot in common, they both enjoyed sports to an extent. They both explicitly stated that golf was the worst sport and the most boring.

"That was a lousy call!" Landon yelled at the referee on the TV.

Alexis laughed, taking another sip of her drink.

It had been a half hour since they began watching the game, and they had both unconsciously been scooting closer to one another. Gotham had just scored a touchdown, making Alexis and Landon leap up in joy, cheering for the team. The game went to commercial as they sat back down. As Alexis settled, she accidentally elbowed Landon in the side.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She gasped.

He winced, rubbing it. It was evident he was still hurting from his accident. Her eyes dropped down to his side, eying him in a doctor-ly manner.

"Do you mind if I…?" She reached into her purse, pulling out a tube of medicated lotion.

Landon chuckled, "You had that in your purse for me?" He began tugging at the buttons on his shirt, revealing his toned chest.

Alexis grinned sheepishly, "Yeah...I was going to stop by and give it to you regardless."

She opened the tube, putting a small amount of the lotion on her hand. The scrape on his side was definitely healing, it had looked so much worse. Smoothing the lotion into his skin, he groaned from the pain. She gave him an apologetic glance, while he threw her a look that said 'I can handle this…I'm a man'. She smirked as she finished applying the lotion.

"Why thank you, Doctor. This has been a wonderful visit from you." He grinned, his eyes dancing playfully.

"I could say the same about you, Landon." She smiled.

Landon reached out with his hand, gently grasping her chin. He leaned into her, kissing her lips once more. Alexis didn't push him away this time, returning the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his own wove themselves around her waist. He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Their mouths began to move in passionate unison.

Landon was about to go a step further when his phone began to ring. He broke off the kiss, grunting in annoyance. He stared at the caller id, and back to Alexis.

"It's my boss. He doesn't usually call this late so it must be important…do you mind if-"

Alexis shook her head, "No, no that's alright. I actually have to go to the bathroom."

"Past the kitchen and to the right."

Alexis sat up from the couch, heading to where he instructed.

"Yes sir?" She heard him say as he answered his phone. "Yes, yes. I'm working on it…"

Alexis entered the bathroom and quickly did her business. She hoped the call wouldn't take too long. She was enjoying spending time with Landon…especially with those lips of his. She craved for more. But she had to remind herself to restrain…she did not want this to be a one night stand. She washed her hands in the porcelain sink, wiping her hands on the towel hanging on the rack. After fixing her hair in the mirror, she opened the door again.

Going straight to the living room, she was surprised to see Landon gone.

"Landon?" She called, her voice echoing.

"Over here!" He replied from another room.

"W-where?" She laughed, "Tell me where you are!"

She tried to follow the sound of his voice…but it reverberated through the house she couldn't determine the direction.

"Alexis, I'm in my bedroom…go past the living room."

Alexis swallowed. Oh god. His bedroom? Was he planning on having sex with her tonight? Well, he was about to get a rude awakening.

She walked by the couch in the living room, coming to an ajar door. She cautiously stepped into the room. It was dark. She didn't see him anywhere. Fear quickly rose up in her mind and her pulse raced.

"L-Landon…?"

Still nothing.

Growling low, Alexis was beginning to get annoyed. "Landon, this isn't funny!"

Alexis crossed her arms over her chest, huffing. She heard a quiet noise in the corner and whipped around to look for the culprit.

Nothing.

She turned back around just in time to see Landon coming at her with a cloth in his hand. In a quick motion, he placed it over her mouth.

After a few seconds, she noticed she smelled absolutely nothing. Alexis immediately knew what it was. Chloroform. As she felt her consciousness begin to fade, the last thing she saw was Landon putting a black bag over her head.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**So what do you guys think? Like I said in the beginning, this is my first Batman story so I'm eager to find out what you guys think! I am also in college and working as well as writing on two other stories currently, so I'm a bit busy. I do live on campus, which gives me a bit of extra time. But please don't take that as a signal to not continue reading! I have every intention of finishing this story.**

**xXxSaiyanPrincessxXx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Holy crap Batman! 10 reviews, 13 favorites and 27 alerts already? This is crazy, insane and awesome! I have written eleven other stories and I have never had such a warm welcome, especially on the first chapter! I'm unbelievably ecstatic right now! **

**A couple review responses…**

**_PLacIDwiCkedNEss_****- Oh no, haha please don't put all your faith in me! If you're looking for other BanexOC stories to read, I recommend _She Rises_ by Paradisical815, _Mercenary_ by PoisonousAngel, _To Serve Man _by TC Stark and its sequel, The _One You Feed_, and _The Traitor's Daughter_ by FutureErotic. Those five stories are by far the best stories I've read and they without a doubt deserve the praise. Go and check them out, if you haven't already haha. **

**_i Metropolis_****- Oh I'm sure you do. You did suggest the title for me! :p For everyone else, _i Metropolis _is one of my very good friends and provided the title for this story! **

**Also, before anyone comments on it, my chapters do tend to vary widely in length! And please for the love of Batman, please tell me how I portrayed Bane…he's what I'm most worried about getting right.**

**Enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer- Blah, blah, blah…don't own. Would be famous and rich if I did. Story and OC are mine. Mwhaha! **

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

The screeching wheels of the tires on the ground startled Alexis to awaken. Her eyes flew open and she rapidly sat up. She whined and winced after her head had rammed into the roof of a car.

"Nice of you to wake up," Landon sneered from the driver's seat.

Alexis' memories flashed before her, and the night's earlier events came rushing back. Her brow furrowed out of anger and she growled threateningly, "You son of a bitch!" She attempted to leap at him, but she was hindered. As she glanced behind her, she saw her hands were bound with two zipties. One held her hands together and the same ziptie was attached to another, looped through the fabric of a seatbelt buckle. She struggled against it, furiously trying to break free.

"You won't get free."

Fiery rage rose up in her body, and she felt as if she was on fire. Her cheeks darkened with hatred. "I trusted you!" She spat irately.

"Trust takes months to grow and only seconds to break, my dear. Funny how that works isn't it?"

"You were my patient! I helped you! How could you do this to me? I thought-"

He cut her off, laughing in a mocking manner, "You thought what? That I had feelings for you? No, my dear Alexis. It was all a part of the plan."

"Wh-what? What plan? What are you going to do?"

"You'll find out." His eyes flickered to hers in the rearview mirror. The dark and mysterious eyes she had romantically gazed into just hours ago were laced with murderous intent.

Alexis froze in mid-struggle. Her mind went blank as her pulse rate increased rapidly. He was right. She had absolutely no fucking idea what he was planning. Was he taking her somewhere secret to rape and kill her violently? No. He couldn't be. He could have done that at his home. He could have done it in his home within minutes and disposed her body just as quickly. Or was he planning on doing it in complete isolation? If he truly wanted to do that, he would have to travel outside of Gotham.

Her racing thoughts were interrupted when the car suddenly skidded to a stop. Her body slammed back into the car seat as her face made friends with the headrest.

"Ow…" She whined again.

The passenger door she was sitting beside was quickly opened. She hadn't noticed Landon exit the car, seeing as he was standing before her now with a smirk on his lips. She glared hatefully at him, her own lips in a firm scowl. He reached over to her and pulled out a large knife from his pants. He cut through the ziptie holding her to the seat, so that her hands were still bound.

Landon pulled her from the car, slamming the door shut.

Alexis took the opportunity to take in her surroundings as he led her away. They were in an older part of the city, as most of the buildings were decrepit and had faded brick colors. There were few cars lined up on the streets. The streetlights were dim and a couple had lights that flickered on and off randomly. Gunfire and screaming was heard in the nearby distance. She held herself as much as she could, trying to comfort herself. She noted that the stars and moon were still shining brightly, to which she assumed it was around midnight. It took a little longer than it should have for the chloroform to leave her system, especially since she was only 5'4 and 127 pounds. But then again, she could have come back to consciousness awhile ago and was simply sleeping.

Seeing all of these things wasn't what scared her the most. It was the fact that there was no one on the streets. Landon could take advantage of her as much as he wanted and no one would know.

Landon continued tugging her along the street. They began to walk into an alley that was riddled in darkness. Alexis' throat hitched in fear. She was getting a distinct bad feeling. As he led her through the alley, she nearly tripped over a pile of trash she didn't see. His grip on her however, didn't let her falter and she kept her ground. He never bothered to glance back and check on her.

Soon, they approached a man-hole cover. Landon knelt down and removed the lid. He grabbed Alexis, hefting her into his arms. She squeaked out a cry of surprise, struggling in his hold. He began his trek down the rusty ladder, albeit with some difficulty. He reached the bottom, standing on the cold concrete.

"You can let me down now, you know." She shot angrily.

Landon smirked again, setting her down on the ground. He unsheathed the knife again, this time cutting through the ziptie holding her hands together. She gaped in awe, unsure if he was actually meaning to do so.

He turned away from her, climbing back up the ladder. "You're welcome to run free around through the pipes, but you might not enjoy the ride." Alexis made movements to begin jogging down the sewer pipes. But she froze again with his next words. "If you know what's best for you, I suggest you stand still for one more moment. Wouldn't want you getting into trouble, now would we?" He said as he went back up the ladder.

"T-trouble?" She stammered, her lips almost trembling in fear.

Landon reached the top of the ladder, pulling the cover over the top. Darkness engulfed them and she jumped in shock from the shadows. He nonchalantly flipped a switch on the wall on his way down, turning lights on. The lights brightly illuminated the pipes, showing them their way.

Landon led her down the halls, following the lights. They trudged through the muck and grime down numerous halls. Every once in a while, Alexis would fall behind, irritating Landon. He would snarl and yell dangerous threats at her, commanding for her to stay close. The first time she fell behind, Landon shoved her against the wall. He viciously held the knife to her neck, letting the tip barely touch her skin. This caused her to whimper out a scared cry.

The second time he put the knife to her neck, she stopped falling behind.

"You're a quick learner. Hopefully you'll learn much faster with my boss. He won't take kindly to deviation."

"Who is your boss?" She asked timidly.

"You'll find out soon enough."

Silence overcame them once more, and it was not long before they stopped walking. They'd arrived at a large mechanical door that had to have been at least twelve feet tall. This door was obviously not nature made, which Alexis concluded Landon and his boss, whoever he was, had been in the sewers for quite some time.

Landon touched a spot on the wall, revealing a hidden control panel. He rapidly typed in a code, while blocking her view. The panel emitted a loud ticking that seemed to let Landon know he'd entered the correct code. The door hissed robotically and slowly opened.

Alexis stood firmly in place, refusing to move.

"Go inside." He ordered.

"No. I'm not going in there."

Landon shot her a murderous grin, "Is that so?"

"Yes." She replied, as a matter-of-factly.

Alexis let out a scream of shock as Landon forcefully advanced her into the room. Before she could realize what was happening, she found herself tumbling down stairs. With every step she hit, she gasped in pain.

Both sides of her head.

Her left scapula.

Her right ulna.

By the time she landed at a stop on the concrete, she knew many parts of her body were heavily bruised, if not sprained or broken. The chloroform mixed with alcohol was still taking a toll on her mind, and she couldn't think properly. Her thoughts were jumbled as she lay there in a heap with her eyes tightly shut.

"What an entrance, I must say, Doctor Rhodes."

A new voice startled her, causing her to peek one eye open.

At this time, Landon was at the bottom of the stairs, standing over her with a malicious grin.

This new voice couldn't possibly have belonged to Landon. It was mechanical and robotic sounding.

She painfully angled her head up, only close her eyes again.

What she had seen nearly scared the living daylights out of her.

It only took her seconds to realize that this other man before her was Landon's boss. This man, if he was not human, would have been better classified as a beast. Impossibly massive muscles and standing at approximately six inches taller than her, this man was gigantic. If she had not been terrified at the first sight of him, she would have stared at the contraption covering almost the entirety of his face.

Lifting her eyelids open again, she took a harder look at the appliance on his skin. It was more of a mask. Aside from covering most of his face, it wrapped around his head with three thick gray bands of metal. His cheeks were popping out of the mask, as if it were fitted just a little too tight. She heard a soft hissing sound, and it took her a moment to realize it was coming from the mask.

His dark and intense eyes stared down at her, causing Alexis to shrink back.

"Get up." He instructed suddenly.

When Alexis didn't move, Landon spoke this time, "I would get up, dear Doctor. Unlike me, boss here doesn't give second chances."

Alexis whimpered, pushing herself to stand. Her arms struggled to hold her body up as she sat up. They quivered and shook, and it was clearly evident now that she had indeed fractured her ulna. Little by little, she rose to her feet.

As she stood before him, the hulking man stared her up and down. "You have on the strangest attire, Doctor Rhodes."

Alexis gasped, looking down at her body. She had completely forgotten she was still wearing her sexy little black dress. Embarrassment laced her mind and her cheeks unwillingly darkened. She instinctively tugged at the fabric of the dress, pulling it down as much as she could.

"Why is it that when you have informed me that you were meeting her at your house, you have brought her to me in such a skimpy outfit?"

"I was not aware she thought we were going to the club. Maybe the doctor is a little loose. She did give me quite the house call visit…" Landon chuckled, licking his lip.

"I am not loose you pervert!" Alexis spat, glaring daggers at him. "I simply couldn't decide on an outfit and I made a hasty decision. Too bad it was poorly wasted on a piece of shit like you."

Landon's jaw dropped, but then quickly closed. It didn't take long before he broke out into laughter at her outburst. The other man joined him. His laughter was made breathy due to the mask's muffled effect. Alexis realized they were mocking her.

The larger man placed his hands on the straps of the vest he wore, "Your fiery personality is admirable, Doctor. But it will not aide you here."

"Don't even think about trying to rape me! I'm stronger than I look!" She yelled, desperately attempting to keep the fear from influencing her voice.

His eyes bore into her, making her take a step back, "Rape you? No, I have no desire for that."

"Th-then what do you want with me?"

"You will find that out all in good time, Doctor Rhodes."

"Who are you?" She barely choked out.

"I'm Gotham's reckoning." He took note of her frightened expression and laughed in a jovial manner. The corners of his eyes crinkled and even though he was wearing a mask, she could tell he had an amused smirk playing on his lips. As he turned away from her, walking to a series of doors on the opposite side, his laughter echoed throughout the large room. He spoke one last time before exiting, "I am Bane."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**I just couldn't resist putting in that awesome line of Bane's! Whew! Second chapter is complete! So please tell me what you think of my take on Bane! That's the most important thing I want to hear from you all! **

**xXxSaiyanPrincessxXx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews/alerts/favs everyone! **

**I'm really glad to hear that everyone approves of my take on Bane so far! This chapter might just reveal and/or imply something about Alexis you all wouldn't have thought of (I hope).**

**_In response to anonymous Sarah- Alexis may seem naïve last chapter…but just wait till you read this one ;)_**

**I just realized that I never quite told you all what Alexis looks like! Go to Google Images and search Grace Phipps. I was going to use Jillian Murray…but I ended up realizing she was _too_ pretty. **

**If you're also trying to imagine what Sergeant Asshole aka Landon looks like, Google Carmo Dalla Vecchia. I was going to use other guys, but I feel like he has the asshole-y look going on, but that still irresistible hunk of man attractiveness.**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer- Blah, blah, blah...don't own. Bane wold be mine! We'll destroy Gotham together MWHAHA! **

**...kidding :D**

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

After Bane left, Alexis continued to stand firmly in place. Her mouth fell open in disbelief. Panic laced her body and she sunk to her knees. She ignored the pain in her bones, staring into the ground.

_Gotham's reckoning? Alexis, what the **hell** did you just get yourself into?_

The rushing water from the sewer pipes sounded around her. She heard voices coming from every direction. She glanced around to see many of what she presumed to be Bane's men doing construction-like work. Some of them were hammering away at metallic surfaces and others were manning machinery. What were they doing down here?

"Get to your feet, Doctor Rhodes."

Alexis' head whirled to face Landon. She'd nearly forgotten he was still there.

"Are you deaf, girl?"

Alexis slowly rose back to her feet, holding her right arm carefully. Her legs wobbled as she struggled to stand, aching for treatment. She was silent, giving no response.

"I asked you a question, Doctor. Are you a mute as well?" Landon snarled.

His hand grabbed at her neck, his fingers gripping tightly. Alexis gasped for breath, clutching at his arm to remove it from her person. Landon's grip would not falter, clenching harder and harder by the second. Alexis' legs kicked up in attempts to strike him in the groin, but he managed to block them with his other hand. Alexis could feel herself losing consciousness and her vision began to grow foggy.

Out of nowhere, Landon's grip completely slackened and his hand fell from her neck. He let out a cry of surprise, alerting Alexis that she had been freed.

Her eyes blinked quickly as she stumbled around, trying to regain her visual perception. She focused to see Landon sprawled on the ground, holding his head. Her eyes darted next to Landon, noticing another man before her.

"What the hell, Barsad!" Landon yelled, rising to his feet.

"Did you forget already? Or has your sense of memory left you? Bane was explicit about not harming the girl." Barsad replied coolly.

Landon scoffed, "I wasn't going to harm her…permanently."

"She is not to be harmed." The other man repeated.

"Oh, whatever man, she's nothing special anyway. We can get another just like her."

Alexis' throat constricted instinctively out of fear, but it pained her to do so since Landon's fingerprints were leaving marks already. She let out a small whimper, quietly moving behind Barsad. She was well aware that he was still one of Bane's men, but at least he followed Bane's orders.

Barsad turned to her, motioning for her to follow. "Come, Doctor."

Alexis didn't object to his demand.

Landon jumped to his feet, chasing after them. "W-Hey hey! I was taking her to her room!"

Barsad lifted the gun that was on hanging off of his shoulder on a strap, aiming it at Landon's forehead. "Once again, Landon, you don't listen well. Bane instructed me, and me alone, to take her to her room."

Landon gulped, standing straight still.

"If you continue to act out against me, Bane's second-in-command, I'll be sure to mention it to him. I'll even mention other things, but especially about how you fantasize about fucking _her_."

Landon's eyes widened, "Alright, alright. I'll stop. Just don't tell him!"

Barsad formed a smirk on his lips, letting the gun fall to his side. He nudged Alexis along, forcing her to move.

They walked through an arch in the gigantic room into a long passageway. The water from the large pipe in the large room had leaked onto the ground, making their footsteps splash in the dim lighting.

They treaded the water in silence, prompting Alexis to take in Barsad's appearance. He was only a few inches taller than her, making him about 5'6. His brown hair was cut short; the strands in the front were a little longer. He had a scruffy beard, covering his jaw. His blue eyes stood out beneath thick brows. Barsad wore dark cargo pants and a shirt of the same color. A military style vest was over his chest, carrying many different bullets and other things she didn't want to know about.

Alexis' own eyes locked onto Barsad's from the corner of her vision, memorizing his facial structure. He was undeniably handsome, and she mentally cursed her luck.

Why was it that the good-looking guys she found attractive always turned out to be criminals?

"You're staring."

Barsad suddenly stated, shocking her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" She quickly remembered where she was, plastering a flirty smirk on her face. "Sorry, handsome. Couldn't help but stare at your gorgeous face."

Barsad cast her a skeptical side-glance, "Flattery will get you nowhere, Doctor Rhodes."

Alexis continued smirking, "I never said I was trying to get anywhere, Barsad…just voicing an opinion is all." She smiled innocently.

Barsad's blue eyes narrowed, "I can't tell if you're lying and being manipulative or if you have multiple personalities and can switch between them ridiculously fast."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She laughed in a playful manner.

"You'd be getting in dangerous territory." Barsad retorted, fingering his rifle.

Alexis grinned widely, "Oh, please, by all means. Shoot me. I'm sure Bane would love to hear about how his second-in-command shot the woman he was directed to guide."

Barsad's fingers dropped from the gun, returning to swing at his side. His eyes never left hers, even as they continued to walk.

"Nicely played, but don't think that will go over well with Bane."

"Don't you worry about Bane and I. I know exactly how to handle this…"

Barsad chuckled heartily, his laughter echoing through the pipes. "Is that so? You've been captured by mercenaries before?"

"That's my little secret, Barsad." She replied cheekily.

The dark haired man snorted in annoyance. "Right, well, in addition to guiding you to your room, I'm to give you a tour of the base. The room we were in before was the main room. When we all retire for the night, the lesser ranked stay there. Everyone else goes to their respective spaces."

After a few more moments of walking, they approached a door. He opened it, revealing a makeshift kitchen and dining area. It was about a quarter of the size of the main room, seating about thirty. Some of Bane's men were sitting at tables, hungrily devouring food. The kitchen itself was merely a bunch of old stove and oven combination appliances, with a couple of counters to prepare meals. She saw a microwave or two. There was a piece of fabric hanging over an archway, leading to another section of the kitchen. Squinting, Alexis could make out boxes with labels, such as pasta and vegetables.

"Why are they eating so fast? They act like they don't eat much."

"Most of us don't eat enough. We usually take the food and go back to work, eating as we work. We all want to remain on Bane's good side, fearing our lives."

Alexis' brow furrowed, "If you fear him why do you continue working for him?"

"Opportunity."

** xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

After another hour and a half, Barsad had eventually shown her almost the entire base.

There was a large section of the base devoted to a washroom area that allowed Bane's men to shower in large groups. A large pipe released what looked like a torrent of clean water down onto their bodies, cleaning them off.

Alexis noticed a part off to the side, asking Barsad about it. He explained that it was a more private showering area, where the water was inexplicably clean, as if it were a shower above the sewers. It only occurred during certain parts of the day however. If you were lucky to obtain a shower during the times it sprayed down, you would often be fought for it. You had to fight for the right to briefly obtain something you'd already claimed.

Barsad mentioned another department of the base was where the men spent most of their time, if they weren't working.

The Ring.

Against her better judgment, she told Barsad to show it to her.

The name itself was not scary and it didn't make Alexis quiver out of fear. But she was very wrong not to.

They arrived at the Ring, and were promptly welcomed by a man's body being thrown out the door. Alexis shrieked, holding her hands to her mouth. He collided violently with the walls behind them, landing with a sickening thud. His body was viciously beaten and covered with bloody bruises.

Alexis' doctoring instincts nearly made her run to his side and administer medical aid, but Barsad's words rang in her ear.

"He is already gone, Doctor Rhodes."

She turned back around, facing the hell that was the Ring. She instantly knew where the name was derived from.

The room was circular and surrounded by multiple pipes that shot water down to the bottom. There was an area above where viewers could watch, or stand to the side on the ground floor. The ground level had a large section of metal and one part that jutted out to the center where a platform was stationed. The platform was also circular, much like a mixed martial arts ring, except there were no walls to protect you if you fell off. The water that fell from the pipes surrounded the fighting area, like a barrier.

A roar of cheering and jeers caught Alexis' attention.

Her aquamarine eyes locked onto a sight that nearly made her fall to her knees again.

Two men were circling each other in the Ring. Another yell from a man on the sidelines caused them to surge towards the other. They met in the center, grappling hands. Cheers and hollering continued, echoing through the room. One of the men suddenly released one hand from the death-grip hold, smashing the now clenched fist into the chest of the other man. He stumbled back, almost falling off the edge of the floor. The same man let out an enraged roar, charging the other man.

Alexis barely had time to blink as numerous punches and kicks were thrown. She heard a bone-crunching blow and a sickening groan of pain. The next thing she knew, one man was being tossed out of the Ring, splashing into the water below.

"He's dead." Barsad informed her, but she didn't need him to.

Alexis gaped in horror as the defeated man's body floated about in the murky water, eventually flowing away into a pipe, leading to outside the sewers.

Alexis saw a new contender standing in the Ring, raising his hands up in the air repeatedly, trying to excite the crowd. He threw a couple of fast punches, bouncing up and down. The man was pumping himself up for the battle.

A second round of cheering erupted in the room, this time much louder than the first.

"You're in for a real treat." Barsad commented, a grin on his lips.

Alexis' eyes flitted around; searching for the reason the crowd reacted so wildly. She gasped quietly as she saw Bane's gigantic form on a level below her and Barsad. Bane was standing next to the railing. Seconds later in a swift and fluid movement, he leapt over the railing. He landed on the platform, one knee on the ground as well as a fist to keep his balance. Bane rose to his feet, stalking into the Ring and his hands gripping the straps of his vest.

The man already in the Ring immediately dropped to his knees, bowing his head to Bane.

Alexis quickly noticed the room had fallen silent, all eyes focused on Bane.

"Rise," Bane said, circling the man.

The man got to his feet without complaint, his eyes fearfully locked with Bane's.

"Have you come to battle, Royce?"

Royce nervously brushed a hand through his blonde military style hair, "Yes, sir." He gulped. "However, I was not expecting to be graced with your presence."

"Did you think that you were going to win your fight?"

"Yes, sir."

Bane stopped behind Royce, mere inches apart. Royce could feel the gas from Bane's mask on his breath. The mechanical breathing reverberating in his ears.

"And do you believe you will still win this fight?"

Royce felt Bane's arm lightly grab his bicep, just barely touching the skin. His breath stopped all of a sudden, and Royce swore his heart stopped beating.

"N-no sir."

"No sir, he says." Bane chuckled jovially again, his laughter echoing.

Before Alexis could blink, Bane smashed his fist into Royce's bicep. She grimaced, hearing the bones shatter even from her position high up from the platform. Royce screamed, falling to the ground on his knees. He gaped in disbelief at his arm, seeing the broken shards of his bones were now protruding from his skin and blood was dripping down to his fingertips.

"This," he gestured to Royce, "This is a reminder that treachery and disobedience will not be tolerated! You are free to do as you wish and do as you please. However, if you find yourself…becoming either of those…you may find yourself…terminated."

Alexis shrieked as she saw Bane make his way up to where she and Barsad were. But not by taking the stairs. Oh, no. That'd be too simple. Bane made his way to them by climbing up the levels. He jumped to grab the first platform and hefted himself up. He did the same with the second level, and the third until he reached them.

Bane chuckled, seeing Alexis' frightened expression. She had started to back up away from Bane and Barsad, until her back eventually hit the wall behind them. Bane kept advancing on her, his chest just inches from hers. His head dropped low to her level, the mask pressing against her ear.

"Are you afraid, Doctor?"

Alexis pitifully tried to put on a tough face, with her jaw in a firm scowl. "Never."

One of his hands rose from his side to reach out and grab a lock of her brunette hair. "Really?" His voice was mocking, noticing her stiffened pose.

"I know exactly where to sever the functioning in your hand permanently. If you know what's best for you Bane, you'll remove your hand from my person."

Bane pulled away from her ear, his face directly in front of hers. His eyes narrowed dangerously, "As do I, Alexis."

The two continued to glare at one another without speaking. Barsad silently observed from afar, his hand on his rifle. By being so close to him now, Alexis could tell Bane's eyes were dark green with flecks of brown. Before, she'd assumed they were black, to match his cold and heartless demeanor. Staring into his eyes with hatred, she mentally rolled hers at his true eye color. Green was meant to symbolize life, fertility and rebirth. If her life was now in the hands of Bane…she'd rather see his eyes turn black. She'd read a long time ago about green being symbolic of immortality in Ancient Egypt. Seeing the brutality of Bane's actions, she saw him in an immortal light. With gigantic muscles and the way his army looked up to him, he was practically a god.

How ironic.

Suddenly to Alexis' relief, Bane eventually stepped away from her and she regained her personal space. His head cocked in Barsad's direction, his hands holding the vest again.

"Why did you bring her here?"

Barsad was quiet for a moment, carefully choosing his words. "She was interested in seeing it. I advised her it was not wise for a woman such as herself to view the Ring. But she was persistent."

"And how right you were." Bane faced Barsad completely now. "However, you should have never complied with her wishes…she will begin to think she has control."

Barsad bowed his head, "My apologies, sir. It won't happen again."

"I expect that you keep that promise, Barsad." He gave Barsad a serious stare, followed by a motion that said "follow me".

Barsad nodded, grabbing Alexis and tugging her along. They went the same direction as Bane, tracing his steps.

"Where are we going?" Alexis hissed, wrenching her arm from Barsad's hold.

"Your room." Bane replied.

After five minutes of silent walking, the trio found their way down an isolated hall. Alexis noted that it was slightly cleaner than the other halls. She hoped it was at least somewhat decent for a woman to reside in for the time being.

Soon, they approached a metal door. Bane opened it, allowing Alexis to enter first. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Barsad turn away and head back down the hall. She wished he hadn't, she felt a little safer knowing he was around, despite being Bane's right-hand man.

Alexis took a look around the room, cautiously treading about. She didn't trust the room, it was provided by Bane after all. There was a bed up against the wall with an actually clean looking grey comforter, sheets and pillow bed set already fitted on the mattress. Across from the bed on the other side of the room there was an open door with a small collection of clothing hanging from a rack. She didn't pay much mind to it, thinking Bane was being benevolent enough to provide her with clothing as her wardrobe was still in her apartment.

In another part of the room, a closed door was off to the side. Walking over to it, she opened the door. It was a decent sized bathroom. There was a shower with the standard frosted glass doors. There was a small built in bench inside the shower to sit on. The sink was your basic counter, basin and drain structure jutting out of the wall. There was a rack on the wall with a few towels hanging from it. In the corner, there was a typical white porcelain throne. She inconspicuously studied it to see how clean it was. Everything was surprisingly pristine.

When she reemerged from the bathroom, Bane was sitting on the edge of the bed. His head was angled at the ground and his hands were clasped together.

Alexis nearly twitched. What the hell did he think he was doing?!

She coughed loudly to gain his attention, "Bane, I would appreciate it if you left the room so that I may change my clothing."

"Go in the bathroom," he replied without looking up.

Alexis growled low under her breath before responding. "I would like the privacy, since you have at least given me the luxury of clothing."

"Clothing?" He glanced up his eyes locked on hers, "I have given you no clothing, dear Doctor."

"Huh? But-the…closet-"

"Is mine." He finished.

Alexis' jaw dropped and her brow furrowed in anger. "But this is my room!"

Bane laughed, "Your room? No, doctor. This is _my_ room."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**Ohhh snap! So let's be honest, who saw that coming? Haha. What did you guys think of this chapter? Don't think you've seen the last of Royce, he'll be back. **

**I apologize that as the story continues on, it takes me longer to update D: College won't let me write! Damn you education! *shakes fist angrily* I wish I could update weekly like some authors D: **

**Anyway, I'm trying to update as quickly as I can...and I truly appreciate all of you for sticking with me!**

**xXxSaiyanPrincessxXx**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Please_********read the Author's Note a****t the end of the chapter, extremely important!**

**Review responses…**

_PLacIDwiCkedNEss- It might be Talia…it might not be Talia ;) I think you know haha._

_PurpleStrawberry14- Like I told you in PM and I'm relaying this to everyone else Bane is between the age of 35-40, but closer to 35 than 40 lol. :)_

**To everyone else- Thank you so much for the support and reviews!**

**Disclaimer- Blah, blah, blah…don't own.**

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"Wh-what?" Alexis stuttered out, not comprehending Bane's words.

"This is my room, Doctor. What do you not understand about that?"

Her mind immediately took a wrong turn and her mouth morphed into a grimace. "I am _not_ sleeping in the same bed as _you_," She replied distastefully.

She could see Bane's face contort amusedly as he rose from the bed. Standing a few feet away from her he still towered over her form. "I have no interest in sharing a bed with you, nor do I plan on sleeping in it. I am far too busy to sleep."

Staring at Bane's eyes, she saw he was not bluffing. The clear heavy bags under his dark green eyes and dark circles around them easily hinted at the lack of rest.

"Fine, then."

He then turned away from her and as Bane walked, his boots thunderously stomped on his way to the door. Alexis turned to him, a firm scowl planted on her lips now.

"Now just wait a second!" She nearly shrieked.

Bane stopped, but didn't face her. He didn't say anything in response to her outburst, prompting her to continue.

"Do you honestly just expect me to sleep happily in this dress?" She said defiantly, her voice rising.

Bane was silent still.

"Do you _know_ how much money I paid for this dress?"

Bane's noiselessness lingered as Alexis' anger persistently went on.

"This dress cost me an entire paycheck and-"

Alexis' rant was suddenly ceased as she was rammed up against a wall. Her head banged on it heavily and her ears began to ring. She felt one of Bane's rough palms wrapped around her neck, causing her slight pain. His grip was just rough enough to make her breath with difficulty. Alexis grabbed at his hand, pawing at it to regain her breath.

"If you value your life as much as the cost of your precious dress I suggest you quit your silly little tirade immediately." He replied darkly, his eyes piercing right through her.

Releasing his grip on her, he whirled on his heel and returned to the door. His hand that had just previously been around her neck fingered the handle of the door.

"And if you truly value the cost of that outfit, you would have worn it for a better occasion."

With that, Bane opened and then reclosed the door with a slam leaving Alexis alone in disbelief.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

No longer than a minute after Bane departed, Alexis instantly began to search for an escape.

She ran to the door, careful to not trip in her stilettos. No matter how much she twisted and wrenched at the door handle it would not budge. She peered into the door frame and studied the door locking mechanism within.

Locked.

The bastard locked her in here!

Alexis let out a scream of rage and began to pound on the door.

"Let me out! Let me out of here!" She cried frantically.

When no one came to her rescue, she furiously increased her thrashing on the door. Even when she briefly paused to catch her breath and saw blood on her knuckles, she didn't stop. All of her efforts were doing nothing against the metal door.

Alexis growled in irritation. Facing the room again, she looked around for anything she could use. Nothing. No random crowbars or pipes. Not even a secret hidden key. A disappointed sigh left her lips as she slowly slid down the door, sitting on the ground.

Her eyes continued to search the room before settling on the bathroom entryway. In her sight was the toilet. She quickly leapt up and raced to it. Pulling the tank lid off, she ran back to the door and continued bashing it. The tank lid was evidently doing more damage to the metal door as indentations were soon made.

"What's going on in there?" A voice from the other side of the door startled her and almost made her drop the lid.

"Finally! Let me out of here!" She wailed.

"Not happening, sweet cheeks. I got orders from Bane. You aint leaving that room without an escort," he replied with your typical gangster accent.

Alexis rolled her eyes, "So escort me out of this damned room!"

"Let me finish will ya? As I was saying…you ain't leaving that room without an escort. Your only escorts being Barsad and Bane himself." He paused thoughtfully. "Although…I may open the door for you on one favor…"

"Anything! I'll do anything!" She answered without thinking.

"Show me your titties!"

Alexis huffed angrily. She should have known. "Fuck you!"

"If you do fuck me, I'll let you out…" He goaded.

"Go away!"

The man began to bang on the door, scaring Alexis enough to move away from the door. She leaped onto the bed, rolling up in a ball.

"Come on, sweetheart I just wanna have some fun!"

"GO AWAY!" She repeated, screaming this time.

She had realized that the man didn't actually have a key to let her out at this point. But the terrorizing thoughts of what could happen were plaguing her mind. Fresh, hot tears were streaming down her cheeks now. She had wrapped the blankets around herself as much as she could. The man's attempts continued and even increased as he started to kick the door as well.

After five more agonizing minutes, the man's loud actions ceased. She could hear his footsteps quietly retreat in defeat. She was almost positive he only stopped because he feared Bane would come storming back down the hall.

Alexis untangled herself from the sheets and silently stepped into the bathroom. She closed the door as to provide herself more privacy. After doing her business and washing her hands, she realized there was a full-length mirror on the back of the door. Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, she sighed sadly.

She looked pitiful.

Her eyes were red and irritated from her crying. Her tears had effectively ruined her eye makeup, smearing her mascara everywhere. Her hair was yet again messed up from all of the rough handling. The dress was ripped and torn in numerous places, as well as stains from unknown substances. She saw trails of her blood, mostly on her knees from being shoved down the stairs. There was a large abrasion on her forehead, still slowly trickling out fresh blood. The imprints on her neck scared her the most. The bruises from Landon and Bane's palms were already a nasty shade of purple. The fingerprints were clearly formed as well.

She reached up to her neck to gently caress her skin, but it was then when she finally felt the pain from her fractured arm. She cursed quietly, wincing from the ache.

Alexis knew she needed to wrap her arm in a makeshift cast and sling, but how would she do it?

She couldn't rip her dress, lest let Bane see more than he needed to or already had. There was always the possibility of ripping off pieces of the bed sheets. She could even take some of Bane's clothing from the closet but she feared Bane would…God, she didn't even want to know. The last thing she wanted right now was to make Bane mad again.

She sighed again, opening the door and flinging herself onto the bed. Confining herself to the sheets' protection once more, mindful of her arm, Alexis simply decided to sleep the rest of the night away hoping it was all a nightmare.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

The loud slam of the door closing shocked Alexis to slightly stir from her sleep. The sheets were thrown off of her and a sudden cold caused her to shiver. Still believing she was asleep, she sat up with her eyes still closed shut, blindly grabbing around for the sheets. Her hand came in contact with some fabric and out of habit; she tried to pull it closer. The fabric didn't budge, and she wrapped her entire hand about it. Holding it, she slowly realized that the fabric was not the sheets.

Opening her eyes, she quickly noticed that she had mistakenly grabbed a hold of Bane's right calf.

She gasped, immediately releasing her hold.

Her eyes dared to glance up at his face that was mostly impassive. The only amount of emotion he was showing was slight discomfort.

"It is time for you to get up, Doctor Rhodes."

"And what time is it, exactly?" She quipped.

Bane's eyes locked with hers dangerously. "Two in the afternoon. We have somewhere to be and are on a tight schedule."

"Where are we going?" She asked, sitting up completely and swinging her legs to the side of the bed.

Bane ignored her, walking to the closet. He kneeled down, shuffled around through some things before producing a white box. Alexis was going to berate him for ignoring her, but she noticed his brief struggle to rise to his feet again. She caught his eyes crinkle in pain as he straightened his back and almost missed the barely audible groan from his throat.

"You have back problems." She stated.

"Ah…you are quite observant, Doctor."

She continued to observe him, as if he were a patient. "What happened to you to cause the pain?"

"It is not important." He dismissed her question in less than a heartbeat.

Returning to the bedside, he placed the box on her lap.

"I can help you, you know. I'm a doctor…I can get you some pain medication-"

If Bane wasn't wearing the mask, he would have snarled angrily at her. He grabbed her chin forcefully, bringing her to stand and demanding she look him in the eyes.

"Do you think I wear this contraption for fun, Alexis?"

"N-no," she could barely stutter out. "I-I thought it was important for some reason…I just never knew exactly-look, Bane…I can help you. Let me go to the hospital and I can-"

Bane sharply turned his head, giving her a full look at the back of his mask. He pointed to large circular pieces with a part that looked like a button sticking out. They were equal on both sides. He pushed down on one of the buttons, and out popped a mechanism holding a small cylinder with a green substance.

"This green formula is the only combination of chemicals that manages to keep my affliction at bay. You cannot find another cure to help me."

He pushed down on the button again, and the cylinder disappeared back into the mask. Bane faced her again, "If you even think of considering removing the cylinders from this mask…"

Alexis gulped fearfully. She didn't need to be told twice. Hell, she didn't need to be told once.

Bane knelt down to pick up the box that had fallen to the ground when he forced her to stand. He placed it in her hands again.

Alexis stared at it and eventually put it on the bed. Opening the box, she pulled out a reddish-orange knee-length pea coat wrapped in tissue paper. She quirked a brow skeptically. Why was he giving her clothing? Didn't he just say hours ago that he was giving her nothing? Sifting through the box some more, she found there was also a hair brush, some makeup and an arm brace.

She turned to him, holding the coat in her arms. "I…don't understand. Why are you giving this to me?"

"It is important for today's events. Put them on now, Doctor. We must leave."

Alexis sighed, still not understanding what the hell was going on. Grabbing the arm brace, she fastened it albeit with some difficulty. She brushed her hair rapidly, fluffing it a few times in the mirror. Quickly applying the makeup, she made sure to cover her bruises extensively. Alexis started to put the pea coat around her shoulders but flinched when a pain almost like a stab hit her shoulder blades. She gasped in shock, dropping the coat.

Alexis saw Bane glance over to see why she had cried out in agony. He came to her side, picking the coat back up. She was startled when he moved to put the coat on her himself. With surprising touch, he gingerly took hold of her fractured arm and slid it through the arm hole, doing the same with the other arm. She thought he would stop there, but he even continued to fasten the buttons.

Bane stepped back, silently gazing down at her. She gawked up at him. Had he really just done that? The man that was apparently Gotham's Reckoning and captured her had gentlemanly put her coat on for her?

She quietly managed to speak, "Thank you…"

"You are welcome." The mask's mechanical voice breathed back at her.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened and in popped Barsad. "Sir, the team is ready for departure."

He was dressed in a gray leather jacket and similarly styled pants. Seeing this, Alexis took the time to observe Bane's new outfit. He was now wearing a dark gray vest with two sets of stripes down the front. Underneath the vest was a similar colored jacket. His pants hadn't changed much, they too were also gray. _Wow. Do these boys really love gray or what?_ On the back of the vest, 'DCS' was stitched into it. _DCS? What the hell is that? _

"Come now, Doctor, we are leaving," Bane called to her from the doorway, breaking Alexis out of her thoughts.

Alexis obediently chased after him. Bane shut the door behind them and they began their trek through the sewers once more. Bane and Barsad quietly discussed whatever today's events were supposed to be. Alexis was listening intently, but they were purposefully being vague. Bane eventually spoke some important things to her, and it became evident that she was involved in their plan.

Soon, they arrived at a ladder and an entrance to the surface. Barsad went first, removing the lid. Alexis flinched from the sudden light attacking her eyes and shielded them with her arm.

When she didn't immediately climb the ladder, Bane nudged her in the back, pushing her forward. Alexis reluctantly began to climb, with Bane not far behind her.

They reached the top of the ladder, now in a deserted side street. Barsad pulled a walkie-talkie from his pocket and spoke into it. "We're here. Get ready. Five minutes maximum."

Barsad turned to Bane, giving him a signal to move on. Bane nodded and then wasting no time, Barsad took off running down another street.

"Do you remember what I told you?"

She didn't answer, evoking Bane to reach for her neck. He didn't actually come in contact, but just close enough to make her whimper in fear.

"Yes!" She cried. "Yes, I remember Bane!"

"Good. Now go inside and wait." He commanded, heading in the opposite direction as Barsad.

Alexis did as she was told, racing to the front of the building. She walked up the steps, her heart pounding against her chest. She kept her head down low to avoid suspicion. After dealing with the security, she was instantly greeted with the insanity that was the Gotham Stock Exchange.

She saw the position she was supposed to stand in and immediately ran-walked to it. She pretended to watch the screens above her head, but she glanced at the front doors every few seconds.

In the near distance, she could have sworn she heard gunfire. Then, completely out of nowhere more gunfire appeared. She saw Bane's men firing at the screens, narrowly missing some people. She saw Landon among them with a sadistically ecstatic grin. Remembering to play the part, she screamed bloody murder and crouched down like everyone else.

The main doors opened and in walked Bane, looking as imposing as ever. The room instantly was hushed as Bane stared straight at some of them, scanning the room. He stepped forward to one of the worker's stations where he was promptly addressed by one of them.

"This is a stock exchange, there's no money you can steal."

Bane inspected the card on the man's jacket, replying with a mocking tone. "Really? Then why are you people here?"

Bane then grabbed the man by the tie and slid him over to the other side of the desk. To everyone's shock, except for his men, Bane proceeded to slam the man's head on the desk. He then took the employee's card and placed it into a reader. Bane began to pace around the room. As he treaded around, he found Alexis among the crowd. Their eyes met for a brief moment and nothing more.

Sirens were heard from outside the room, letting the occupants know the police had arrived.

A minute later, one of Bane's men informed him that the police had cut the fiber, but that their download program was still working.

"For now," Bane replied, his hands held together.

Another few moments later, more sirens had a joined the others.

"How much longer does the program need?"

"Eight minutes."

"Time to go mobile." Bane gave a signal and his men started firing their weapons again.

One by one his men grabbed a hostage. Alexis gulped, knowing this was her part in the plan.

Standing apart from the crowd, she called out to him. "You think you'll get away with this?"

Bane turned in interest. "The police will catch you and stop you from stealing!"

He slowly advanced on her, his boots pounding on the ground. "And why do you believe that?"

"B-because I believe in our police department! The Harvey Dent Act put thousands of inmates-"

Bane smirked beneath the mask, "There is hidden truth about Harvey Dent…but now is not the time for that."

His hand quickly jutting out, clutching her neck once again. "I believe I found my hostage."

He nudged her forward to where his men were waiting. Behind a door they unveiled five motorbikes. How they managed to pull that off was beyond her, because she was froze in place at the sight of the bikes. Her hands had started to tremble in fear.

Bane had already settled himself onto his own bike, a red helmet on his head, and the engine running. Alexis cautiously walked to the bike, eyeing it nervously.

"Get on the bike, Doctor, I have no time to be wasted. You can easily be replaced." He warned.

Alexis took a deep breath before apprehensively swinging one leg on the other side of the bike. She sat on the leather seat, feeling the engine purr beneath her. As Bane revved the engine of the motorcycle, Alexis' heart raced at nearly the same speed it would have been going if he weren't also holding the brake. Like in her nightmares, her palms were clammy and beads of sweat formed on her porcelain skin.

All of a sudden, Bane let go of the brake handle and the bike sped off racing through the doors.

Letting out a quiet whimper of fear, Alexis instinctively nestled herself backwards into Bane's chest for protection. She was nearly tempted to reverse herself on the bike, hide her face in Bane's chest and wrap her arms tightly around his waist. This way she wouldn't have to see what was coming and only the darkness that came from the security of his body.

The red helmet he wore pressed against her hair as he glanced down to see her huddling against him in absolute dread. He could feel the foreboding panic practically radiating off of her body.

The bike hurtled down the steps, narrowly avoiding the escaping workers and screeching onto the pavement. The rest of Bane's men followed quickly behind on their bikes.

Much of the Gotham City Police department was there waiting for them. They had made blockades in the streets, in futile attempts to stop them from escaping. Bane was anticipating this, unknown to them. It only helped him in part of his plan to escape.

Silently wrapping a large arm around Alexis' small waist, he effortlessly lifted her off the bike.

Alexis stared up at him in terrified horror, "Bane, no!"

Before she knew what was happening, she hit the cold, hard pavement.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**I deeply apologize for the complete lack of updating this story ever since I began it. Starting at a new college aka university has thrown me into the flames and I'm off balance. I'm totally over worked with class work and my job. I barely have time to write, as you can see. This fact upsets me greatly because I know all of you as well as my other readers are waiting on updates. Writing is like an escape for me and if I can't write...I get a bit depressed. My parents seem to be constantly at each other's throats since I moved out. I'm so sick of college that I honestly just want to drop out. I feel as though I have no friends. Since 11th grade in high school (2009), my group of friends has drastically changed and I have little to no one. Being in a college with some 30,000 students does not help. You'd think it'd be easier to make friends with all those people but it really isn't. I'm in a very bad place right now everyone. Expect no updates until Thanksgiving...if not then, then it will be December. Again I apologize...from the bottom of my heart.**

**Also, please…_please_. Do not give me pity reviews. Give me sympathy and support if you wish, but****_DO NOT_****review simply because you want to do the aforementioned things. Review because of this chapter.**

**As for when the next update will be…no, it will not be in four months because that seems to be the trend for this story. Chapter two was up within a week, chapter three took a month, and this one took two months. Second week of December, this hellish college semester and I'm praying to God (while I'm not religious) that I pass, will finally be over. I have a month, yes an****_entire_****month, before the next semester. So I will be writing my ass off.**

**I absolutely****_refuse_****to abandon this story along with****_Changes_****and****_Trapped_****.**

**xXxSaiyanPrincessxXx**


	5. Chapter 5

_That son of a bitch! _

That was one of the many furious phrases that repeated through Alexis' mind as she tumbled to the concrete. She rolled on the ground a couple times before coming to a complete stop. She let out a pained cry, lying on her back.

A few police officers came running to her side, asking if she was okay. She nearly screamed at them that she wasn't, but held back.

"Kayla!" A voice from the sidewalk called.

Alexis turned her head, seeing exactly who she needed to.

Barsad jogged up to her, kneeling down. His blue eyes were filled with concern. "Kayla, sweetheart, are you alright?"

She nodded, grabbing at one of his hands, "Oh, Joshua! What are you doing here?"

"It doesn't matter right now."

He put an arm around her back, gently pulling her to her feet. Alexis played along, nuzzling her face into his chest. Out of nowhere, Barsad kissed her forehead and she almost slapped him for it. He wasn't supposed to go _that_ far. But he did have to make it convincing enough.

"Come on, I'll take you to the hospital," He began to lead her away as Alexis pretended to limp.

One of the cops ran up to them, stopping their getaway. "Wait! We can give you a police escort to the hospital, it'll be faster."

His dark puppy-dog eyes stared directly at Alexis in a pleading glance. Brown hair, cut short that was standard for the police force, was mussed slightly. Upon noticing Alexis was looking at him, he gave her a sweet, crooked smile. Her eyes quickly flitted down to the name tag on his Gotham City Police licensed shirt.

_J. Blake _

"That's very kind of you, Officer Blake, but we'll be fine. Besides, you should focus your efforts on catching Bane." Alexis smiled back reassuringly, inconspicuously nudging Barsad to move.

"If you insist, ma'am." He replied politely and giving a curt nod before chasing down his team.

Alexis and Barsad walked quickly to the side streets, making sure no one followed. Once they were out of earshot, Alexis let Barsad have it.

"Who the _hell_ does he think he is? Throwing me off the bike like that! I told him I was deathly afraid of them! I mean honestly! What kind of deranged maniac chucks someone to the ground?!" She ranted irritably.

"Bane did not tell you that part of the plan specifically because he knew you would react this way." Barsad responded.

"I could have fractured my arm permanently! I could have broken something else too!"

"But you didn't. You should be grateful for that. Bane purposefully drove at a low speed when he threw you off. He could have driven at 50mph at thrown you from the bike, but he didn't."

"Why?"

Barsad did not reply instantly as he removed the lid to the sewer. "He needs you. For reasons even I don't know."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

After what seemed like hours later, word had flitted around that Bane had finally returned to the base.

Alexis had been in the medical area, having one of Bane's men check her physical state. Nothing had changed. Fractured arm, few cuts and bruises everywhere, but that was all. She was still angry at Bane. That also had not changed. The resident 'doctor' who had examined her noticed her tense stance, advising her to relax. She told her this was probably the first of many times Bane would incite fury in her.

She learned his name was Felix. His hair was dirty blonde and messily went past his ears. His eyes were a shockingly bright blue. He told her it was normal for people where he came from. A slim build, he was not as muscular as Bane's other men. Obviously, he had more brain than brawn. After having more conversational talk and despite being one of Bane's lackeys, he was actually a kind man. So far.

She'd been watching the television in the room since then. Bane's hostage situation and the following involvement with the police was the topic on every news channel, the highlight, the night's entertainment. Alexis wondered if he enjoyed the attention of the cops. Although many people had robbed the Gotham Stock Exchange before, few got away. And this time, the Batman was there.

After eight years of disappearance, the Batman had finally returned, showing up to stop Bane. During some turn of events, Bane had somehow escaped the police and now the attention was changed to the Batman's capture. He was a dangerous vigilante and a wanted criminal for the murder of Harvey Dent eight years ago. To everyone, it seemed he went into hiding after killing Dent. To hide away his shame? Had he killed himself after his embarrassment and despair? Showing himself now and letting Bane get away, now people wondered what his true intentions were. Was he helping the masked mercenary?

These were the questions the reporters asked during the live police chase. The Batman was driving some sort of black motorcycle-y vehicle, Alexis wasn't sure how to describe it. He was being chased by nearly all of the Gotham City Police Department's patrol cars, a few SUVs and even a helicopter.

Before Harvey Dent's death, many of Gotham's residents believed in the Batman and all that he could do for the city. Alexis was one of them. And she still believed. She silently cheered when he inexplicably escaped the police, flying away in another strange contraption he owned. If there was anyone who could beat Bane, it would be the Batman.

As if on cue, the door opened and in strode Bane. Still clad in the same clothing, he held the red helmet in one hand. The jacket had been unzipped to reveal his vest. He made eye contact with Felix, returning the nod Felix gave him. Bane turned to Alexis now, garnering her full attention.

"How are you feeling, Doctor Rhodes?" His mask hissed.

Alexis scowled, "Oh, you know, just fine considering you _threw_ me from the bike!" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and then fury.

"Are you not well? Are you not in the same physical condition you were before?"

"Yes, but you could have injured me more!" She retorted.

"But I did not." He replied calmly, stepping closer to her with every word. "I am aware of your fear for motorcycles, Alexis. It was evident. If you think I was trying to harm you, you are mistaken. If you had really been harmed, blood spilt on the concrete, Barsad would have truly needed to take you to the hospital because the police would be more than interested to why he hadn't. There, they would question you and ask for your information. After tonight, I certainly do not need much more unwanted attention now."

Standing directly in front of her now, his hand reached out, holding her chin firmly. He yanked her head up, forcing her to look at him. "Do not confuse me for a man not planning out even the tiniest details of his plan."

Bane's hand released her, both hands coming to rest on the straps of his vest. "Felix, I'm sure you've realized…Alexis is your replacement."

Alexis' jaw dropped, her blue eyes darting to Felix. He gave her an apologetic look, tapping a foot on the ground nervously.

"What the hell do you mean by replacement, Bane?" She inquired.

"While Felix has done as much as he can to help the injured, he knows nothing of surgeries and procedures. You are one of the finest surgeons in all of Gotham; it is only…natural…that I selected you."

"And just what makes me so special that you chose me over a dozen other surgeons?"

"You have a certain talent that I feel I require. While I have been seen by numerous so-called 'physicians', none of them were professionally certified. They could not figure out why the pain will not cease to exist. Now that I am here, in Gotham…I wonder if it was that my pain is truly an enigma…or if it was that they were incompetent imbeciles."

Alexis scoffed, "Well, I seem to remember perfectly telling you I could get you medication but someone was adamantly against it."

"It is not medication I require. This mask only holds back the pain. It is treatment that I need. Surely a certified masseuse such as yourself would know of a few remedies?"

"How do you know that?" She asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.

"I know more than you think. Alexis Andrea Rhodes, aged twenty-five, 5'4'' and weighing 122 pounds, blood type B, born and raised in Gotham City. Home address is apartment 329 in the Camden Condos off of 15th. You live alone, no family, no pets." She could feel him smirking behind the mask. He listed all of the general information about her without skipping a beat, as if he'd memorized it.

Alexis' lips formed a thin line, pursing together in anger. "Well then, did you also know I have recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia? Or that the most effective way it can be treated is with medication? Medication that is in my house! _Medication that you don't have_!" She yelled irritably.

"I do now…and what exactly is this medication that you require?"

"Tramadol, paracetomal, pramipexole…"

"We do not have these medications, Felix?" Bane asked.

"Uh…no sir, we don't."

"Like I told you. I already looked through all of the boxes and crates." Alexis huffed, crossing her arms. "If you'd just let me to go my apartment and get them myself-"

"You are not leaving!" Bane's mask hissed loudly, as his voice rose. The words echoed, bouncing off the walls of the room.

Alexis cringed. He hadn't raised his voice like that before. It wasn't necessarily frightening, but considering it was Bane, his persona intensified it. Felix even took a small side-step away from the masked man.

"I shall send Barsad to your apartment where he will retrieve the medicine and this will be the last I hear of it."

"Fine…as long as I get my medicine."

"Very well. Come with me, doctor."

Bane motioned for her to follow. She reluctantly got up from her chair, walking behind his gigantic form. Alexis cast Felix another glance that was returned with a thumbs-up gesture and a joking smile. She rolled her eyes at his silly antics. At least there was one decent person in the underground base.

She and Bane walked in silence, as she expected. The effects of her medication were slowly wearing off. She could feel the pain in her hands returning. She was finally suffering from her sprained arm and the dulled ache of her feet. Alexis hoped Barsad would return quickly after they found him. Barsad took note of the items she needed and one more she'd forgotten. Lexapro. Unable to bear the pain of her feet any longer, she practically ripped the heels off, choosing to continue bare foot.

It didn't take them long to arrive at their shared room. Alexis carelessly tossed the heels to a corner before turning to the bathroom. She planned to shower and a nice long one. Maybe when she finished, Barsad would have returned, with her medication ready to be taken.

Unfortunately, Bane had other plans.

"I hope you are not thinking you can escape so easily," he called to her.

Alexis froze in mid-step, _Damnit. _She faced him, staring him straight in the eye.

"You will do what I ask of you. And what I ask…is for you to simply diagnose, if possible…the source of my pain."

Alexis chewed the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. It was just an examination…nothing could go wrong...right?

Making her decision, she nodded. Fully realizing the situation after eyeing Bane's clothing, she fidgeted nervously. She was entirely aware of what she'd have to do. _Crap. He has to remove his...oh dear. Just focus...just relax. You've done this before. Bane is no different than other men. ...sort of. __  
_

"Ah…okay." She cleared her throat, trying to be professional. Before she could stop herself, she didn't form her words correctly and said, "Bane I need you to get naked."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

LOLOLOL. I was going to go a little farther, but my roommate said that was just and I quote, 'an evilly diabolical place to end'.

Sorry for the wait everyone…I feel so terrible that I can't update this as much as I should and you all wait for new chapters for such a long time. I'm glad that you are all very patient (I hope lol) for my slow updates. I do try to make them worth the wait also. The major cliffy for chapter four was an example of that.

Anyone notice Barsad's fake name? It's his actor's name; Joshua Stewart. :P Hehe did anyone get who Felix is? He's a real life person…oh screw it I'll just tell you. He's loosely based off of PewDiePie on Youtube. Felix Kjellberg is his real name. I got such a kick out of writing him into this; you guys have no idea lol.

_A review response for Sera22- Haha I'm sorry I'm extremely vague ;) I hope this chapter explained why it took two hours for her to feel the pain of her fractured arm as well. My mom has fibromyalgia, so that's where I got the idea from. I have a habit of revealing things somewhat differently than others I guess. Aside from that, thank you for the kind review :) _

For everyone else, I'm ecstatic that you all approve of my Bane. Every chapter that is what I'm most worried about. His character, his mannerisms…Bane is tricky haha. Thank you for the reviews! :) They mean the world to me!

Love you all,

xXxSaiyanPrincessxXx


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm going to start putting author's notes at the end of the chapter…**

**Disclaimer- Don't own. STOP REMINDING ME D:**

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Bane shot her a look that was easily recognized as shock, even though she could only see his eyes. They were insanely expressive. She guessed since his eyes were the only thing you could see, Bane had to intensify the emotion so they had more meaning. She couldn't deny that he did it extremely well.

She recovered from her mistake, although her cheeks had turned rosy pink. "W-what I meant was…I need you to remove your clothing from your torso up."

He continued to stare at her, prompting Alexis to awkwardly explain herself, "Remove your shirt, so you know…I can better perform a physical exam…"

Bane chuckled quietly, furthering her embarrassment. "Very well, then."

Without even realizing it, Alexis gulped nervously.

Bane began to follow her instructions, removing the gray jacket. He let it drop on the floor in a crumpled heap.

_No big deal…it's not like we're doing anything wrong…I'm just assessing him. No problem. _

Alexis kept her blue eyes on Bane the entire time, watching him. Her eyes searched his skin, looking for bruises and scars that were of significance. Her eyes fell on his arms, gaping at them. His biceps were, and she was absolutely positive on this, the largest and most muscled she'd ever seen.

_No sweat. _

Bane's hands started unbuckling the fastener at his waist as it clicked free. The straps at his waist hung lazily by his hips. The straps that overlapped the metal of the vest were thrown over his shoulders, lying against his back. Next, off came the vest itself, as it was laid on the ground by the jacket with a loud thud.

_Nope. _

Now, the masked mercenary was wearing a simple brown, short sleeved v-neck tee. It was frayed at the edges and looking hard enough, she saw small holes in the fabric, clearly worn too many times to count. Without the jacket and the vest, Alexis could truly see just how massive Bane was. The shirt was loose around his body, but even then, he filled it out to the point where it should have ripped.

Bane was fully aware that Alexis watched him like a hawk. He paid no mind to it though. He found it amusing as her eyes practically raked over him in awe. It was not the first time and he was not surprised. He spent hours upon hours to build his body to perfection that would defeat opponents, and the time was well spent. Bane had never lost a battle and his scars made him a warrior. Nothing could stop him now from fulfilling Ra's al Ghul's destiny. His mind drifted then, to something or rather, someone, he thought of often.

Talia.

Talia would be visiting soon, he reminded himself. Bane always anticipated seeing Talia…seeing her porcelain skin, hearing her foreign accent speak from voluptuous lips…

"Bane? Are you even listening to me?" Alexis' voice rang in his ears.

His sharp eyes darted back to hers. "I am."

"You sure? 'Cause I just told you that the shirt has to go too." She replied sarcastically.

_Of course he wasn't listening. Not like he'll listen to you ever. _Alexis' eyes resumed scanning over Bane's physique, looking for imperfections._ There's another pair of scars on his left shoulder blades. That's about twenty scars I've counted so far…and that's not including his lower body. _

_Still no issues…_

He said nothing in return and continued to remove his clothing. His rough hands gripped the shirt, nearly tearing it off. It too landed in the pile with the rest of his discarded clothing.

As soon as Bane removed his shirt, Alexis was in disbelief. The man was unbelievably, impossibly, unimaginably, well-defined. This was already evident, but first off, his neck was so thick she didn't think she'd be able to wrap both hands around it. His trapezius muscles were so large that they were at least an inch or two more than what she'd seen on body builders. His biceps had to be as big as her head. Bane's torso looked hard as a rock, and she admitted to herself that she imagined he would have a six-pack at minimum. Then again, she couldn't see the entirety of his abdomen because of his back brace. Bane's body was one of the most powerful and ripped physiques she had ever seen and Alexis wondered how much time and effort he'd spent perfecting it.

_Sweet, sweet vodka where are you when I need you? God, I need a drink right now. _

She remembered the task at hand though. Examining Bane's back and discovering the cause of his pain. Bane reached behind and unlatched his back brace, letting it fall with a metal clank.

_Yes, then the alcohol, _she thought, _hopefully. _

Clearing her throat, she absentmindedly rubbed her forearm while garnering his attention. "Alright, Bane, I need you to lie on your stomach on the bed."

Bane complied, taking care to remove his shoes before he got on the bed. He groaned as he felt pain bending down to the mattress, the lack of wearing his back brace. Alexis shared the pain he endured and it saddened her. She knew exactly how he was feeling but she had to do what was necessary. He silently settled into the mattress, the mask pressing against the pillow. It hissed from the pressure on the tubes, resulting in Bane having to briefly readjust. She made sure he lay with his spine straight and aligned head to toe.

As Bane fixed his position, she removed her pea coat, folding it back in the box. Alexis stood over him at the bedside. Her hands trembled. Why they trembled she was unsure. She didn't know if it was the pain she felt in her bones or the fear of unknowing how Bane would react to her touch.

Her hands lowered to rest on his lower back, inches from the scar that trailed up his spine. She touched him, ever so gently. His skin was soft, even while riddled with deformities. It was foreign to her, her hands upon him. Any physical contact between them was usually his hands on her…around her neck. Her neck and throat tightened at the thought. As her hands lingered on his skin, she noted he was quite warm. Too warm in fact.

"Do you have a fever? Your skin is burning up." She asked quietly, hands staying put. She wanted to feel his forehead for herself, but she decided to let him answer.

"No," he replied, "A side effect of the medicine, I'm afraid. Nothing to fret over, Doctor."

Alexis was not comforted by this. "What exactly is the medicine composed of?"

Bane didn't respond immediately, as if he had to think about it. "A mixture of vicodin, morphine, and a few drops of liquid fentanyl."

The brunette pursed her lips. Her hands slowly began to move across his back, poking and prodding at his muscles. "You know those are some of the most addictive drugs in the entire world. Not only that, but they're highly dangerous to the body…"

"Yes." Bane said simply, as if it were obvious.

"How long have you been taking them?"

Bane jumped slightly. She'd touched a sensitive spot; the start of the scar going up his spine. She wasn't shocked from this. Alexis knew it would be the source or the biggest source of his pain.

"Far too long."

"Bane…I _need_ to know this information if I'm going to help you." She chided him. How many times did she have to remind him that?

She felt him sigh deeply, as her hands rose up and down again with his back. The breath was shaky and uneven.

"As long as I can remember I've been wearing the mask…different variations at first…this one I've had the longest. Near half my life if I recall correctly."

"And just how old are you, then?" She prodded.

Bane rebuffed her question quickly. "Age is unimportant. Only a number."

Alexis resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Bane was being insanely unhelpful. Although, she could infer that from the small wrinkles that appeared around his eyes when he laughed and the state of his body, his height and everything else, he had to be at least a few years over thirty.

Bane breathed deeply again, and his body shook slightly.

"Are you alright? That's the second time you've done that."

"This position is not pleasant."

She sighed, taking her hands off of his back. "Okay." Alexis watched as Bane turned his head to her quizzically. "If you're not comfortable, I don't want you to be in pain. You are my patient, after all."

Bane flipped himself over onto his back with a grunt. He re-positioned to where he was content while she observed. They stared at each other wordlessly, until Alexis broke it. She advised him to relax for now, keeping the strain off of his back.

"Have you diagnosed the source of my pain?" He asked, as she began to walk away.

"No. Not completely. I can tell that some of the pain is derived from the scar on your spine, which is normal. I do have a few diagnoses that could be the problem. But I'll have to examine you more, Bane."

He gave her a curt nod and she walked away again.

Alexis stepped into the bathroom, eager for her long waited shower. She shut the door behind her, and locked it. Just in case. She peeled off her clothing with some difficulty. She nearly fell over trying to pull her dress off. Alexis wasn't sure if Bane could hear her cries of 'ouch' and 'son of a bitch', but if he could, he was probably laughing at her.

She turned the shower on, relishing in the sound of running water. Alexis closed the door and let the warm water envelop her. Despite not having any items to use, she took a very long and relaxing shower. Shutting the water off, she grabbed one of the towels from the rack, wrapping it around her body. It was extremely soft and probably very expensive. Had Bane chosen it himself? He didn't seem like he was one for material possessions but maybe he, like many other people, enjoyed a little bit of luxury.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, her face had improved from the disaster it was before. The blood splatters were washed off of her skin and her runny makeup was gone too. But her skin was still bruised and battered. The marks upon her neck still were visible. Alexis opened the mirror that doubled as a medicine cabinet to find the brush she'd used earlier. She combed through her brunette locks, removing the tangles. She found the makeup too, but she didn't put it on, choosing to go makeup free for now.

Deciding she was finished, she opened the bathroom door and returned to the main room. To her surprise, Bane was in the exact position he had been in when she left. She inched closer to him, seeing his eyes were closed. Alexis panicked for a moment, calming only when she saw his chest rise and fall. He had fallen asleep.

"_I am far too busy to sleep" my ass. _She thought bitterly.

But she let it drop, feeling empathetic for him. She could only imagine how much pain he was enduring right now, not wearing the brace. She was curious why he didn't put it back on, or the rest of his clothing for that matter. Alexis could only assume that he was too exhausted from today's events.

Tiptoeing over to the closet, she quietly pawed through Bane's clothing. She needed something to wear. She refused to put the dress back on and she was definitely not going to parade around in only a towel. Alexis pulled out a long gray tee shirt that looked as if it would cover her. She was about to go back to the bathroom, when she glanced at him quickly. She didn't want him to catch her in the act. That would be worse than having to explain after she had it on.

In the corner of her eye, she saw something. Something that hadn't been there before. Turning her full attention to it, she realized it was a suitcase. And it was not just any suitcase,_ her_ suitcase.

She stared at it in question. "How the…" She mumbled, dropping Bane's shirt in the process.

Barsad.

He'd brought it back from her apartment. Alexis laid it down in excitement, wondering what he stuffed into it. On top, sealed in a plastic bag was her medication. She almost jumped for joy. She took no time in opening the bottles popping them in her mouth and guzzling down a bottle of water that was also in the suitcase. She devoured the saltine crackers he'd provided too. She was amazed that Barsad had actually taken the time to read the labels on her medication.

Digging through the suitcase, she found a few outfits she could now wear. Three of them, were ironically the three outfits she decided against for her so-called date with Landon. She picked out a maroon v-neck shirt and a pair of black lounge pants, wanting to wear something comfortable. Alexis also found, to her embarrassment, some undergarments. Her face flushed, knowing Barsad had gone through _that_ drawer. She was thankful though. Alexis discovered her toothbrush, toothpaste and shower items, along with pretty much her entire bathroom counter. Barsad even managed to stuff a few feminine hygiene products in.

When she saw him again, she'd have to thank him. Alexis quickly changed in the bathroom, lest Bane see her practically naked. She pondered on how Barsad didn't wake up Bane. Unless Bane had been awake when he returned and fell asleep after. She could only imagine that Barsad had been waiting outside the door for Bane's approval to enter.

At the very bottom of the suitcase was the item that she would very much require the most. A very large and extensive book on anything and everything a doctor would need to know. She pulled it out and sat in a corner of the room. She flipped to the pages on back injuries, delving herself into the book.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

She didn't know what time it was when she woke up. What she did know was that Bane was not in the room or bathroom. The book was still perched in her lap and her butt ached from sitting on the ground all night.

Seizing the opportunity, she jumped into the bed. It was still warm from Bane's body heat. She tried to ignore the fact that it smelled like him too. She wrapped the sheets around her body, plopped the book back into her lap and continued reading.

She was reading the chapter on herniated discs when the door opened, revealing Bane. Their eyes met for a short moment, merely acknowledging the other. Alexis hoped he'd only come to get something and leave as soon as he came. Nothing ever went how she hoped with Bane though.

"Ah, you are reading...about the human back I presume?" His mechanical voice echoed in the room.

"Yes." She replied simply.

"And have you found what you were looking for?"

Alexis' brows furrowed irritably. "No."

"Why is that?"

"Well for one, it's hard to concentrate when you keep asking me questions."

"I ask because I have no answers."

She didn't respond to that, ignoring him. Skimming to the page on scoliosis, she quickly tossed that out of the diagnosis. Bane's back had little to no spinal curvature.

"I have a need for you in the infirmary." He stated as his hands held onto his vest. Today he wore a black shirt underneath instead of the brown one.

"Uh huh…" She trailed off expecting him to continue.

"Change your clothing." He instructed, and she shot him a look then. "Do you deem it proper to care for men who have hardly any restraint against women in an outfit such as that?"

Alexis scowled, touching her toes to the ground to get off the bed. "This is appropriate. There's nothing wrong with it."

"You will be caring for Landon. Now do you reconsider that statement?"

Bane watched as her body became stiff. Her clenched jaw and narrowed blue eyes were evident enough of her rising fiery personality.

"Have Felix do it." She replied icily, walking to place the book back in her suitcase.

"I asked you."

Bane took a couple steps toward her, stopping inches from her body. He could feel her stiffen more, if it was possible. She breathed deeply as if she was trying to keep herself calm. His hand reached around to her neck and she instinctively jerked away from it.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Alexis just about yelled at him, crossing her arms angrily over her chest.

His eyes crinkled in amusement at her outburst. "As a doctor, I would assume you know of the brilliant Burrhus Frederic Skinner and his most famous experiment."

"Yes…Operant Conditioning."

"Then you would be aware of the procedures," His hands fell from his vest, resting at his side. "You have a defiant demeanor, Alexis Rhodes…and I will break you."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

**Holy crapsicles did I actually update in a reasonable amount of time? I updated in less than a month! WOO! Awesome, right? Unfortunately, I'll ask you all to not think of it turning consistent heh. **

**Sounds like Bane's got a plan for her! **

**Also, LOL sorry for the just evil cliffy last chapter, it was just begging to be part of the story ;) And I'm glad you all enjoyed it hehe. **

**I'm sure not everyone knows what Operant Conditioning is, so I'll explain. B.F. Skinner was a famous psychologist, biologist, etc., who was studying the actions of rats when faced with a series of levers. If they chose incorrectly they were shocked, but if they chose correctly they got the cheese. To shorten that, basically it's about punishment and reward, and the rats eventually learned from it. So, all of this applied to Alexis and Bane is when she disobeys or whatever, the action of Bane putting his hands to her neck would be the punishment, which she will eventually have to learn from.**

…**Did that make sense? If it didn't send me a PM and I'll explain better :) **

**Reviews please my loves! **

**xXxSaiyanPrincessxXx**


	7. Chapter 7

**SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY! Pathetic explanation at end of chapter!**

**Finally a bit of back story for Alexis…Typically I would put it sooner, but there wasn't really any place for it in any of the past chapters.**

**Disclaimer- *sniffles and sobs* I'm not Christopher Nolan damn it!**

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Alexis took a few subconscious steps away from Bane. She hardly felt her back come in contact with the wall. Her pulse began to race rapidly and all coherent thoughts left her in an instant. Bane's fierce eyes pierced right through her and she fell frozen in place against the wall.

"I hope you are not disobeying orders, Ms. Rhodes," his mask hissed.

Bane approached her again, and she fell out of her shock. She immediately moved, returning to the center of the room. He turned, facing her. "You _will_ care for Landon."

She scowled, her brow furrowing deeply in annoyance. "Whatever," she muttered, walking to her suitcase and pulling a pair of jeans out. Then, she went into the bathroom. Moments later, she came out; clad in the jeans and her lounge pants in hand. She readjusted her arm brace, which had moved in the process of changing her clothing. Digging through her suitcase once more, she slipped on a pair of black ballet flats.

Alexis made a bee-line for the door, placing a hand over the handle.

"And where did you think you were going?"

"To the medical area, bay, wing – whatever you call it." She replied, half-sarcastically.

"Yet again, you are, mistaken," He declared, causing her to look back at him quizzically.

"Because…?"

Bane's hands rose to grasp his vest, "I believe that you were informed by one of my men that you are not to leave the room without an escort."

She cursed under her breath. Of course he'd heard that yelling. It practically echoed through the walls. "So I'll wait for Barsad."

"He is busy with other matters. I shall take you."

Alexis decided not to quip a smart remark, simply stepping aside as Bane came forward. One of his hands dropped to open the door and he swung it to his side. Without wasting another second, Alexis strode through, following the maze of pipelines. Her shoes scuffled quietly along the ground, while Bane's boots thundered loudly behind her.

What in the hell did he mean? _You have a defiant demeanor, Alexis Rhodes…and I will break you. _Even while knowing him for hardly a day, she didn't understand _what_ he meant, but she knew it was not going to be a pleasant experience. Bane was a serious man with a cold personality. He seemed to be hardened by the harshness of the world, keeping to himself. Alexis was no stranger to isolating herself from others and she had her own reasons to be distrusting of society. Why she had decided her career to ultimately help others was still a mystery to her.

When she was younger, Alexis had a hard demeanor. An unruly and mischievous child, she was always testing the patience of her parents. She was extremely difficult to discipline in the basic human interactions - talking, walking, and bodily care - her low attention span a large part of it. She was, however, amazingly bright in education. But when she enrolled in elementary school, she punched a classmate in the face for no apparent reason. She seemed to grow out of it, as she had no major infractions or issues until the year she entered the sixth grade.

November 18th 1997. Her father had picked her up from school so that they could celebrate her tenth birthday early, as he would be out of town for the actual party. He brought his motorcycle, which excited Alexis. She had never been able to ride it before, and it made her grin wide when her father led the way off of the school grounds.

The day was always remembered perfectly in her memory.

"_Dad…where are we going?" A young, ten year old Alexis whined, her brunette locks in a girly braid, fashioned with barrettes. _

_Her father chortled, "Just a little bit longer, sweetie." He assured her, his eyes looking ahead of them. _

_Her father was a handsome and gentle man, approaching his mid-thirties. His hair was black, black as night and his vibrant ocean blue eyes stood out even more against them. He had a slim, athletic build that accentuated his long legs that brought his height to 6'3. _

_As they rounded the corner of the sidewalk, Alexis was growing more and more anxious. After they had turned, it could not be contained. _

_There it sat by the edge of the curb, the kickstand propped out to support it. Alexis let out a high-pitched squeal, giggling and smiling as she ran toward it. The motorcycle was a low-rider chopper where the handlebars were higher up than the seat. It was a bright chrome red, the metal frame a shiny metallic silver. The seat was made of the finest black leather, and two helmets hung from the handlebars. _

_Alexis enthusiastically grabbed the helmet that was obviously for her – an aquamarine blue – and hurriedly fastened it around her head. Her father joined her, putting his own helmet on. He then sat down on the bike, situating himself. Pulling a set of keys from his pocket, he inserted one of them into the ignition, starting the engine as it roared powerfully to life. _

_She nearly leaped onto the motorcycle's seat, right in front of her father. His hands reached up to grasp the handlebars, revving the engine. _

"_Are you ready kiddo?" He asked, his voice in her ear. _

_An incomprehensible jumble of excited words came from her mouth. He laughed, taking that as a 'yes'. _

_And with that, he drove off, speeding along the pavement. _

_Alexis was still grinning widely as they weaved in and out of traffic, going much faster than the other motorists. The rush of the wind as it whipped over her skin was enthralling and it only made her smile wider. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest and her pulse raced like lightening through her veins. _

_A sudden sharp turn shocked her out of her ecstasy and she leaned back into her father's chest. The exciting ride had quickly begun to go downhill. _

_The roar of the motorcycle's engine purred beneath her, as she sat on the leather seat. Her pulse raced rapidly in her chest, beating against her ribcage. It was not a thrilling feeling, seeing as her body reacted fearfully. Her throat was dry and constricted, making it difficult to swallow. Her hands were clammy and sweaty as they just barely held onto the metal handlebars. The hands on the outside of hers grasping the bars were much larger. Scarred and somewhat unhealthily taken care of, the hands were holding on to the bars relaxed, unlike hers that gripped them holding on for dear life._

_Another sharp turn and a skid of the wheels on the pavement startled her. She let a whimper escape from her lips underneath the helmet she wore. She instinctively scooted back on the seat, leaning her back into the muscular chest behind her. She felt the person's head shift slightly, as to observe her movement. She glanced up to look at them, her pupils fearful. Another pair of eyes matched hers, fixed intently on her. _

"_Sorry kiddo, seems like something's wrong with the bike…I'll have to pull over," He told her, his voice calm. _

_Alexis nodded her head and turned her attention forward. Her eyes widened as she noticed they were not watching the road. Her head whipped around just in time to see the motorcycle about to slam into an eighteen wheeler carrying propane, before bursting into flames._

_Alexis lay face down on the hard pavement, the heat of the flames overpowering. She strained to lift her head toward the sweltering warmth, her eyes squinting in pain to even glance at it. She saw the motorcycle, stuck in the tanker's container, slowly melting away into nothingness. _

_Tears were already flowing down her cheeks, wetting her braided hair. She felt like her skin was bleeding, scrapes and burns forming. Her father had thrown her from the bike. He wouldn't let both of them perish in the flames. It made her conflicted; blessed that she had such a loving father to save her life, but heartbroken that he would not survive. _

"_Dad…" Her voice croaked as she reached a bloodied hand out toward where she thought he was laying, unmoving. _

_She felt lost, unsure what she would do now. She and her mother could not live on a hairdresser's salary. They would have to move, start a new life in a new home in a new town. It was the last thing on Earth that she wanted. _

"_Dad!" She cried once more, hoping and praying that he could hear her and he was still - by some miracle – alive, but her scream was eventually overshadowed by the wails and sirens of the arriving ambulances. _

**xXxXx**

"You are trembling," Bane's mechanical voice breathed, bringing her back to the present.

Her chest constricted in pain and she shook her head furiously to rid herself of the memories. Slowly lifting one of her hands, she noted that he was right. Her hand was shaking, and she was unable to stop it.

His words echoed through the tunnels as they walked, "You are remembering a traumatizing childhood event…one that has scarred you for life."

"Yes," She could only say. In her mind she wondered how he could guess that so accurately.

"The motorcycle, perhaps?" He guessed. And damnit he was right, again.

Alexis nodded, just barely.

"Why do you fear it?"

She breathed deeply, trying to keep calm. "I don't want to talk about it."

"The great Lao Tzu once said, 'There is no greater illusion than fear'. If you continue reliving your childhood experiences, it will only hold you back. Letting go of your fears and overcoming them will make you stronger." His voice was full of truth and the tiniest bit of understanding, which infuriated her.

Alexis scowled and her anger rose up, "I lost my father in a motorcycle accident fifteen years ago! I watched him _burn_ in the flames! You have no idea of the pain I've experienced, so don't even try to _preach_ to me!"

"At least," He gently returned, his words calm. "You have them in your memories, dear doctor. I seem to have no recollection of my parents…it appears as if I just was born in this corrupt world we live in."

"I'm sorry?" She replied, her offer of condolences was hardly considered wholehearted, and she hoped he hadn't picked up on it. She relaxed some, noting her body wasn't shaking anymore.

The duo fell into silence, silence that she wanted to last until they arrived at their destination.

Her hopes were shot down. He spoke again, and she cursed under her breath. "May I ask you a question, Alexis? You may decline to answer if you wish."

"Sure." She said, dreading what it would be.

"What happened to your mother?"

"Declining to answer," she said, almost instantly.

"Fair enough."

They turned a corner and they had finally reached the medical wing. Alexis nearly ran through the open door, hoping to get away from Bane as soon as possible. Her aquamarine eyes spotted Felix in the corner, rearranging medicine bottles. In the opposite corner, Landon sat on a stretcher, grasping his arm. He faced the wall, obviously in his own world as he didn't notice her entry.

"I assume I can leave you to your work then, Alexis." Bane swiveled on his heel, going back the way he came.

Alexis gave Felix a quick acknowledging smile when their eyes met. As much loathing hatred she had for Landon, she could not disobey Bane's orders. She was annoyed and tired of him basically choking her. Her throat instinctively tightened at the memory. _Freaking lunatic,_ she thought.She slowly walked to the stretcher he sat on. He didn't hear her enter the room, but he heard her approach, and adjusted his position.

He laid eyes on her, an aggravating smirk on his lips. He tried – not very hard – to secretly ogle at her, to which she only rolled her eyes.

"My face is up here, if you expect any treatment." She drawled, sporting a bored look.

"The only treatment I want from you, sweetheart, is a little thing called a 'happy ending'," he grinned devilishly and suggestively wiggling his dark eyebrows.

Alexis smiled back, leaning into his body. "Oh, well then I hope you don't mind if I cut _it _off when I finish you. It's about that time in my medical career where I go psycho crazy…I'd like to do _experiments_…" Alexis' angelic smile turned dangerous, a wicked smirk on her lips.

Landon's eyes morphed into giant shocked orbs filled with fear. "You wouldn't dare."

"I might." She replied, her voice sing-song-like, mocking him.

"You sadistic bitch!"

Alexis' jaw dropped in feigned hurt and she held her hand to her heart. "Nobody ever accused me of being a bitch."

Their arguing caught the attention of Felix, who had curiously craned his neck in their direction. He returned to his work, having faith in Alexis.

In a swift move, Alexis forcefully grabbed Landon's arm, which caused him to yelp in pain. Her voice dropped low, hissing in his ear. "I can either properly heal your arm without fuss or I can permanently put you in agony for life if you don't shut your arrogant, bullshit-filled mouth."

Landon opened his mouth to respond, but was stopped by her speaking in his ear again, "If any word of what you are about to say is an insult I will sever the muscles in your arm."

His eyes glanced to the side, catching sight of a surgical scalpel on a nearby table. He watched as Alexis' eyes had followed him. She gave him a look that said, _it's your choice, normality or pain._ He gulped. Treasuring his body, he surrendered, letting his resistance against Alexis fall.

"Fine." He said, just barely audible.

She smiled her angelic grin again, "Good to hear. Now just relax your arm."

Landon complied, not to her surprise. His arm slackened in her hold as she promptly began to assess his damage. Mindful of her own arm that was healing, she held it gently in her hands, poking and prodding specific spots on his skin. One certain spot, he winced more than the others, cursing under his breath. She felt around the area, sensing the bone, broken in half.

"Your radius is broken." She stated simply.

"Yeah? How are you gonna care for it then?"

"Wrap it in gauze and put it in splints, wait for it to heal and reset." _That was a stupid question…everyone knows that. _

Trying to get past Landon's moronic comments, Alexis let his arm rest for a moment while she retrieved supplies. She went to the medicine cabinet, where Felix had moved to arrange other items. She grabbed a bottle of low prescription strength version of vicodin, a roll of gauze, and splits. The two exchanged a quick glance, and Felix laughed in a hushed voice, "Nice job keeping him in line. Maybe you can tame Bane?"

Alexis smirked, waking back to Landon, "I'll try."

In a few mere moments, she had wrapped Landon's arm up in a jiffy, and sent him on his way. Once Landon was out of earshot, she put away her supplies.

"Felix," she said, garnering his attention, "Landon's arm needed much more than a simple splint and gauze. It was also broken at the wrist, not just the radius. I didn't see any plaster casts or the material to make them. Why is this?"

"We don't have any, that's why. Bane believes that a man should be able to work through the pain and recovery process, essentially making him stronger." He replied, a grim look on his face.

Alexis gasped, "What kind of sane person would honestly think that?"

"Bane."

"It was a rhetorical question, Felix. Anyway, that's completely insane. If Bane honestly thinks that having a man work through an injury will make him stronger, he's wrong. The only thing that can come out of it is having the injury become worse and possibly permanent."

"Yeah. So, you are planning on telling Bane himself that?" Felix chuckled some.

Alexis' lips upturned at that. "Probably not…_yet_. I'll get into his head first…win his trust..."

"Bane's trust? Ha. Good luck with that one. Truly."

"I've already got the seed planted," she winked. "Bane's a man that wants a challenge, something to keep him on his toes…all I need to do is hold his interest until I have my claws deep. He won't be able to resist anything I say." She added, with an afterthought, "Well, mostly anything…I'll still be able to influence him."

"You've got this entire thing planned out, don't you?" Felix marveled, his bearded jaw agape.

"Just a little," She smirked. Taking a seat on one of the stretchers, she laid back against the cold concrete wall. _The only problem is Bane himself. He can either foolishly fall or play the fool – who would end up being me._ She closed her eyes, trying to relax. With her eyes still shut, she asked, "So what am I supposed to do now? Bane only told me to care for the idiot's arm."

"I'm not really sure. I guess since you are technically going to replace me as the resident doctor, you should stay here until further notice."

She let out an annoyed groan, "Great."

Felix laughed again, "Look at it this way; it's basically like you're at Gotham General. Just a different setting."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? 'Cause it doesn't."

"I tried." He joked.

Slowly the hours passed for Alexis and Felix. Every once in awhile one of Bane's men would come stumbling through the doors or carried because he couldn't walk. And it frustrated her, seeing as almost all of them had preexisting injuries. Each one had told her, they fell because their ankle was twisted prior to battling or their wrist was already in splints before punching his opponent.

This knowledge only served to make her more determined. Even if she couldn't completely influence him, she could still try to convince him that his training regimen was well…fucked up. Obviously something had happened to Bane. Whether it was his childhood or young adulthood – something made Bane into what he was today, and it seriously screwed him up. She didn't even have to know him long to know that.

It might take some time, patience and a hell of a lot of arguing, but Alexis _would_ find out Bane's past.

A loud crash and some fumbling around caused Alexis to quickly open her eyes. She saw Barsad standing in the doorway, looking sternly at Felix who was currently trying to clean up the mess he'd made. She guessed that Barsad had suddenly come into the room, scaring Felix.

"Bane requests your presence, Doctor Rhodes." Barsad said, his voice calm and commanding.

"What for?" She replied, still leaning against the wall.

"I was not informed of the purpose. Only to guide you. Quick now," he answered, getting impatient. His fingers tapped idly on his rifle.

"Whatever," Alexis sighed, leaping off the stretcher.

Barsad quickly led them through the halls, striding in a fast pace. Alexis nearly had to run to be able to keep up. She wondered what the hell was so important that they had to move this rapidly.

It was soon that Alexis began to recognize the environment, and it was clear to her that they were headed for the room that she and Bane shared. They approached the metal door, seeing it was partially ajar. Barsad pressed a few fingers against the surface, sliding it open.

Alexis' blue eyes laid upon Bane, sitting with his back to them. Beside him, a woman sat just mere inches from his own body. One of her delicate bronze hands gently caressed his mask.

_Well. This plan of mine has just become a hell of a lot more difficult. _

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Jeez…you guys, I can't even compare how sorry I am for this update being so late. I feel SO awful because I've only updated 7 times and the 1 year anniversary of the story is already coming up in two months! I look at other authors writing BanexOC stories, and they've already gone well into their sequels! I'd explain my reasons but you all know what they are…same as they've always been. College and work. It never ends.

And I know you guys are going to _dread_ this because I'm probably going to have even less time to write…but this Fall, I'm supposedly (I have to get accepted first and I'm secretly hoping I don't) joining ROTC at my college. And I know, you're all going WHAT? The_** only**_ reason I'm doing it is because: My parents are basically forcing me because it's the only way they will allow me to go for my Master's degree right after my Bachelor's since ROTC will pay for my classes. I guess my parents are tired of supporting me. But I hate it because they're forcing me to do something I don't want to do, and yes, I know that's a parent's job but it's still SO frustrating.

I feel like I'm letting you guys down. I really hope you all don't feel like I'm neglecting this story or any of my stories. I also hope that I'm not losing anyone's interest because of this…

Anyway, enough of my rambling. I hope you all enjoyed this seriously late chapter and the introduction of Talia. If you have any suggestions or comments about how portray her, please let me know. I always want to be the best I can be. I also hope someone caught on to the line that was near exact to one of my favorite Selina Kyle quotes from the movie. :P

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

xXxSaiyanPrincessxXx


End file.
